We have everything you need! Lumber • Hardware • Paint • Electrical • Plumbing • Windows & Doors Building Materials • Heating • Power Tools • Hand Tools Lawn & Garden • Kitchen & Bath • Housewares • Outdoor Living Boots & Apparel • Giftware • Power Equipment • & More!
845.876.WOOD www.williamslumber.com
Makes a Great Gift!
Rhinebeck • Hopewell Junction • Tannersville • Red Hook • Pleasant Valley • High Falls • Hyde Park • Hudson
CELEBRATING
Ten Years
Don’t struggle through another winter alone.
Introduce yourself to Woodland Pond, and discover the companionship and company you are missing. Our residents find it easy to stay connected, build friendships and engage in life, regardless of the season. Call today to schedule a visit. Learn how you can secure one of our last remaining apartments and spend your winter in the company of some of the warmest, most interesting people we know — our residents.
Mid-Hudson Valley’s Premier Continuing Care Retirement Community 100 Woodland Pond Circle, New Paltz, NY 12561 | 845.256.5520 | wpatnp.org
12/19 CHRONOGRAM 1
Holiday Shopping BEGINS
HER E!
Three floors—30,000 square feet—filled with everything you love!
SHOES, CLOTHING, JEWELRY, HOME DÉCOR & GIFTS!
Brighton
Kendra Scott
Sam Edelman
Hobo
Meira T
Swarovski
Corkcicle
Marble
Joseph Ribkoff Joules
Katie Loxton
Mud Pie
Pandora Papyrus
10 OFF
$
your purchase of $100 or more! WIT’S END GIFTIQUE
Must present this coupon. Excludes Pandora and Brighton. Valid through 12/20/19.
1762 Route 9, Clifton Park, NY 12065 518.371.9273 | witsendgiftique.com 2 CHRONOGRAM 12/19
CG
RIGHT OFF THE NORTHWAY!
Stonewall Kitchen Uno de 50
& More!
12/19 CHRONOGRAM 3
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
ASIAN AR AR RT T GALLER RY YIN AMERICA HUGE SALE
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST “Aft Af er a visitt to AsiaBarong... Aft youʼve just browsed through nearly every region off the Eastern Wo W rld”
K rrea, Japan, China, Ko a Indonesia, a, esia, Burma, Thailand, esia a d d, India, Cambodia, Vietnam, m Ta m, T iwa w n, wa n Nepal 199 Stockbridge Road, Great rreat eat Barrington, MA 01230 • 413-528-5091 • www.asiabarong.com
Definitive ive Museum Museum//Ga /Gallery of Pan-Asiatic Art and Sculpture
STOREWIDE SALE FROM DEC 14TH THRU DEC 23RD
THE LAR LARGE GES ST
MILAN CASE STUDY IS A MODERN RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT LOCATED MINUTES FROM RHINEBECK, NY WITH HOMES DESIGNED BY AWARD WINNING ARCHITECT JAMES GARRISON Each home is placed within the environment to maximize the enjoyment of the natural beauty, and minimize the disturbance to the surroundings. 3,256 square feet / 4 bedrooms / 4.5 baths Lots from 7 - 17 acres Saltwater heated pool, studio/garage, pantry, media room, fireplace, screened in porch
40% sold. Please contact us to purchase your home today. milancasestudy.com 4 CHRONOGRAM 12/19
718.369.1776
info@milancasestudy.com
12/19 CHRONOGRAM 5
Thank You for a Century of Bringing Us Home for the Holidays!
adamsfarms.com
poughkeepsie • kingston • newburgh • wappinger
FIND YOUR CENTER AT MARIANDALE A WINTER RETREAT: BURROWING DEEP In the midst of winter, when much of creation burrows deeply to rest and gain strength for the next season of life, accept the invitation to “burrow deep,” and ponder God’s revelations within you. During this silent retreat, gentle quiet will frame the days, and will include time for prayer, rest, and refreshment of your spirit, as well as individual meetings with a spiritual director.
When: Thurs., Jan. 23 through Sunday, Jan. 26 Who: Nancy Erts, OP, Gaynell Cronin, and Judy Schiavo
WRITE YOUR WAY TO WISDOM: A WEEKEND RETREAT Winter, the season of hibernation, is a perfect time for writing memoir—the genre of introspection. In the quiet beauty of Mariandale, you’ll identify the pivot points of your life. By crafting them into stories, you will mine their meaning and find the grace within. Bring paper and pen or a laptop. This program is perfect for memoirists working on essays or books.
When: Fri., Jan. 31 through Sun., Feb. 2 Who: Lorraine Ash
JOURNAL WRITING AS A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE: A WEEKEND RETREAT
Find Your Center at Mariandale Ossining, New York mariandale.org (914) 941-4455
Creating a visual journal is a way to chronicle our lives and express our thoughts and feelings. Using visual elements in the practice of journaling can bring about surprising layers of understanding. During this retreat we will use guided meditation to inspire both written and visual content; we will work with both intent and intuition, at our own pace, in the satisfying and illuminating practice of journal entry.
When: Fri., March 13 through Sunday, March 15 Who: Peg Considine BFA, MEd Visit our website at mariandale.org/events for more information and programs, and for simple online registration.
6 CHRONOGRAM 12/19
YOU WORK HARD TAKING CARE OF EVERYONE ELSE. IT’S TIME TO TAKE CARE OF YOU.
At Columbia Memorial Health, women’s health is a priority. We’re here to guide you through a lifetime of wellness – all in a NEW welcoming and comfortable environment. Our Women’s Specialty Services team offers a full suite of gynecologic services, ranging from routine GYN care and incontinence care, to minimally invasive surgery and comprehensive breast care services.
Areas of Focus: • Gynecology • Breast Health
• Pelvic Health and Incontinence • Family Planning
At Women’s Specialty Services, We’re here for you at all stages of life.
Edward Marici, DO, FACSOOG
To learn more and view informative videos please visit
ColumbiaMemorialHealth.org/womenshealth
Rakel Astorga, MD FACS
Jennifer Gsell, NP
71 Prospect Ave. Medical Office Building, Suite 240, Hudson, NY 12534 | 518-697-5467 12/19 CHRONOGRAM 7
Gift of Happiness
Apply time-tested practices to live a happier and more conscious life.
philosophyworks.org/hudson
Jobs come and go, physical beauty fades, markets rise and fall. Even close relationships can end. But the benefits of philosophy last a lifetime. As a gift to the community tuition for our Philosophy Works course is being waived for the winter term beginning January 6, with classes in NYC, Hudson Valley, and On-Line. Register now to discover time-tested principles leading to freedom and sustainable happiness. Classes are offered in: HAMLET OF WALLKILL, NY Tuesdays 7–9PM, 10 sessions starting January 14, 2020 BEACON, NY at the Howland Cultural Center, Saturdays 10–12PM, 10 sessions starting January 18, 2020 Register online or in person for this 10–week introductory course. There is no charge for this introductory course. For information and registration go to philosophyworks.org/hudson or call 845-895-9912 What I’m looking for is not out there, it is in me. — Helen Keller
Grand. Finale.
• 2-Bedroom Ranch Style and 2-Bedroom Townhome • Starting in the high $500,000s
Your Ticket to Country Elegance May Expire Soon! The Gardens at Rhinebeck are like a wish list for today’s discerning homeowner. The ideal location just 90 minutes from the City. Country living and recreation, plus cosmopolitan culture and entertainment. A beautiful, maintenance-free lifestyle in a community like no other. It’s no wonder that over the last eight years nearly every unit has quickly sold. These will be the final new homes in a unique development – the last approved condo community in Rhinebeck. Stop by for a cup of coffee and claim yours now, before the curtain falls. The complete offering terms are in Offering Plans available from the sponsor. File nos CD17-0040 and CD-17-0041. Equal Housing Opportunity. Sponsor: Rhinebeck Gardens Group, LLC, 29C Hudson View Drive, Beacon, New York 12508
Gardens Rhinebeck_GF_8625x5825_Chrono_061819.indd 1
8 CHRONOGRAM 12/19
845-516-4261 2 Sunflower Place, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
GardensatRhinebeck.com
6/18/19 4:38 PM
12 19
december
One Newburgh landlord has amassed hundreds of violations on his properties. A SLUMLORD IN NEWBURGH, PAGE 60 Photo by Roy Gumpel
FRONT MATTER
HEALTH & WELLNESS
12 On the Cover: Kirsten Deirup 16 Esteemed Reader 18 TMI Project Essay: Ray Long 19 Editor’s Note
44 Feeling Gutted
FOOD & DRINK
OUTDOORS
26 Second Line Fever: Mama Roux
50 Gear Up: A Gift Guide
Dishing up hearty, affordable neo-Creole cuisine, the nascent Mama Roux in Newburgh already feels like an old favorite.
29 The Drink: Yesfolk Tonics In a former church in Troy, a family of California transplants brew up a probiotic revolution with Yesfolk kombucha and kefir.
31 Sips & Bites Five Upstate businesses shortlisted for the Good Food Awards.
HOME & GARDEN 34 Do What You Love, Design Will Follow When Erik Schmidt and Sequoia Neiro decided to build a shared home, they spent time considering the needs of everyone who would live there—children and adults—and let the design grow out of that.
Julia Indichova, Woodstock-based creator of Fertile Heart Ovum Practice and author of two books, views the fertility journey as a revelatory quest for wholeness and an opportunity for healing.
Six Hudson Valley outfitters—Mountain Tops Outfitters, Potter Brothers, TRT Bicycles, Rock and Snow, Esopus Creel Fly Fishing, and Old Souls—share their holiday season gift picks for the outdoor enthusiasts on your list.
COMMUNITY PAGES 54 A Village Awakens: Catskill A historic trading and transportation hub, Catskill has steadily and organically morphed into a vibrant, quirky town with fresh energy and fresh tensions over the past few years.
HOROSCOPES 100 The Wind-Up and Then the Pitch
features 64 A Slumlord in Newburgh by Phillip Pantuso
Prying open the poor track record of one of Newburgh’s biggest landlords reveals a pattern of systemic housing inequality.
68 The Good Fighter by Peter Aaron
Twenty-year Navy veteran, counterterrorism expert, and Columbia County resident Malcolm Nance releases his latest book, The Plot to Betray America.
72 Emerging Artists 2019
by Carl Van Brunt
Regional curators Janice La Motta, Paola Ochoa, Karlyn Benson, Alyson Baker, Erin Zona, Derin Tanyol, Carl Van Brunt, and Katie Schmidt Feder select eight emerging artists they consider worthy of the spotlight.
Lorelai Kude scans the skies and plots our horoscopes for December.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM 9
Impacting Your Community. — Healthy Water Solutions — Citizen Science — User-Inspired R&D — K-12 & Community Programs
LEARN MORE discover.clarkson.edu/beacon
10 CHRONOGRAM 12/19
BEACON INSTITUTE FOR RIVERS AND ESTUARIES
12 19
december
Recently opened Mama Roux brings afforable French-inflected Creole cuisine to Newburgh’s north side.
ARTS
THE GUIDE
80 Books
FOOD & DRINK, PAGE 26
An excerpt from How to Manage Your Girlfriend’s White Guilt, the new book by stand-up comedian and Hudson Valley resident Duval George Culpepper, plus a holiday books gift guide.
91 Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth shreds solo at Colony Woodstock on December 2.
Photo by Ann Stratton
85 Music Album reviews of Spiral Fires by Geezer; When You Were There by Nick Hetko/Rich Syracuse/Jeff “Siege” Siegel; Lucky Foot and Sunny Moon by Ratboy Jr.; and Hovels of the Holy by The Templars of Doom.
86 Poetry Poems by Roger D. Anderson, Charlotte Berwind, Stephanie Carter, John Goodman, Sari Grandstaff, Corey Greenberg, John Grey, James Croal Jackson, William J. Joel, Yana Kane, John Kojak, James Lichtenberg, Shanekia McIntosh, Meagan Towler, Rosa Weisberg, and Jennifer Wise. Edited by Philip X Levine.
92 A round-up of the region’s best holiday happenings, including Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night, Sinterklaas, Winterwalk on Warren Street, Polar Express Train Ride, Poughkeepsie Celebration of Lights, and Made in Kingston. 93 For its annual small works group show, Limner Gallery displays 76 small works by 54 artists, including Kevin Kuenster. 95 A gallery guide for December. 99 Six live shows to pencil in from Amy Helm’s Holiday Express to Xylouris White.
104 Parting Shot Kingston resident Amanda Cabanillas captures Energy Dance Group performing at O+.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM 11
on the cover
From the Curator No, painting is still not dead, and Hopewell Junction’s Kirsten Deirup is here to prove it. Deirup’s Surrealism reveals a technical and conceptual polish that is nothing short of masterful. Merging portraiture and landscape, Renaissance phrasing, and contemporary props, her work conjures visions of a game of exquisite corpse played by Leonardo da Vinci, Piero della Francesca, and, taking the lion’s share of turns, Giuseppe Arcimbaldo. Deirup’s paintings are precise, lushly pictorial, and (more often than not) creepy. There is as much to be said for experimentation as there is for working and reworking a consistent, focused idiom. Deirup does not stray. Derin Tanyol, director of exhibitions and programs at the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild, chose Deirup for inclusion in our 2019 Emerging Artists feature. See the seven other artists featured, page 72.
Jacques KIRSTEN DEIRUP
K
irsten Deirup’s vivid, multidimensional paintings evoke the feeling of a visceral dream, full of uncanny details you can’t place in memory and yet are somehow familiar. Deirup achieves this phantasmagorical effect by mining her subconscious, with the help of periodic insomnia. If she can’t fall asleep, she lays in the dark and focuses on summoning images, a practice that often results in a jolt of artistic inspiration. “I’m hyper-focused,” says Deirup. “Once I get the image in my head, I can work for hours and hours.” Deirup brainstorms during bouts of insomnia and takes naps with the intention of culling imagery from her daydreams. She’s working on an intriguing portrait of a bright blue tarp draped over an unknown figure. Her vision is inspired by the Tower of Babel, incorporating the twisted silhouette into the fold of the tarp. Deirup’s work is influenced by a host of inventive artists and academics: David Lynch, Carl Jung, and the American landscape painters of the Hudson River School movement. Before painting, Deirup researches imagery and learns as much as possible about her subject, delving through art books and online articles. Her commitment to research stems from her time at Cooper Union. “It’s a unique environment because it’s free, but the discourse is challenging,” she says. Deirup credits the East Village institution with helping push past her creative limits. She recreates the art school’s collaborative environment by regularly meeting with fellow artists for mutual critiques, and constantly experimenting with new ideas, methods, and media. 12 CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Deirup is an emerging artist, albeit one with years of experience and success in the industry. In 2008, shortly after her first child was born, the stock market crashed. Both economic and personal changes motivated Deirup to re-evaluate how she worked as an artist. She began teaching art at NYU, selling her work to galleries, and, in 2013, moved from Brooklyn to the Hudson Valley. In 2018, she teamed up with fellow artist and mom Paola Ochoa to open Mother Gallery in Beacon, a retort to the male-dominated art world that seems to have little place for women who nurture both a career and a family. Now, Deirup has returned to painting with newfound vigor. She maximizes every second of her day to fulfill artistic and personal obligations. “I’m painting like my life depends on it,” she says. In the next year, she aims to complete a unified body of work. Working primarily in gouache, she paints narratives, framing thoughts and conjuring images in each piece. Deirup navigates art as though she’s adjusting a camera, bringing faces into focus along with the periphery. She paints archetypes of people; obscuring their identity while maintaining resonance with the collective social consciousness. As a painter, she maintains a strict separation between work and self, which allows her to envision ideas outside the scope of what she’s personally experienced. “I make a concerted effort to keep my identity out of my work,” said Deirup. “It’s not about me.” View more of Deirup’s work on Instagram: @ kirstendeirup. —Lisa Di Venuta
alt cover A Havana street scene by Jesse Scherer. In November, we reached out to readers via social media looking for creative street photography to feature in the magazine. Thanks to all those who submitted their work. Submit photography for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue: Email your 300-dpi photos to our creative director, David Perry, at dperry@chronogram.com.
Chronogram
Warren Kitchen & Cutlery For The Holidays. The Hudson Valley’s Most Complete Kitchen Emporium! For the best selection of fine cutlery, professional cookware, bakeware, appliances, serving pieces and kitchen tools— and a complete selection of coffee and espresso makers.
• Featuring world class cutlery and cookware from Zwilling. • Great gifts for anyone who loves to cook or entertain. • Gift wrapping available.
6934 Route 9 Rhinebeck, NY 12572 Just north of the 9G intersection 845-876-6208 Mon–Sat 9:30–5:30, Sun 11–4:30 Visit us on the web, or order on-line, at www.warrenkitchentools.com
wkc_chron_holiday2017C_hp-vert.indd 1
12/19 CHRONOGRAM 13 10/10/17 6:48 AM
BARDAVONPRESENTS
Hot Tuna w/ Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams
Ulster Ballet Company
A Christmas Carol
Thu. Dec. 5 at 7:30pm - Bardavon
December 6, 7 & 8 - UPAC
Beacon Barry Le Va Chelsea Mel Bochner Currently on view
New Paltz Ballet Theatre’s production of
HUDSON VALLEY PHILHARMONIC
Nutcracker
HANDEL’S MESSIAH with Marty Stuart
The
Sites
Sat. Dec. 21 at 2pm - Bardavon
December 14 & 15 - Bardavon
BARDAVON 35 Market Street - Poughkeepsie • 845.473.2072 UPAC 601 Broadway - Kingston • 845.339.6088 SUPPORT FROM Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union & the Bruderhof
BARDAVON.ORG TICKETMASTER.COM
Dia:Beacon 3 Beekman Street Beacon New York www.diaart.org
Affiliates
cultural park for dance • tivoli ny May your holidays sparkle
Poughkeepsie keep
with love, laughter, and goodwill.
it relevant.
At Poughkeepsie Day School, we design learning experiences that captivate students and expand their sense of the world.
Upcoming Open Houses
All Levels, Howland Library in Beacon, Wed., December 4, 11:30 am Middle School, On Campus, Fri., December 6, 9 am Lower School, On Campus, Fri., December 13, 9 am Upper School, On Campus, Fri., January 10, 9 am
Please RSVP at
admissions@poughkeepsieday.org 845.462.7600, ext. 201 Poughkeepsieday.org 260 Boardman Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
NOVEMBER Attic Projects/Luke Murphy, November 2 • Vivo
POUGHKEEPSIE EST. 1934
DAY SCHOOL PreK– Grade 12
14 CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Ballet, November 3 • 10 Hairy Legs, November 9 • Rock the Kaatsbaan Tivoli Gala with Robbie Fairchild & Stella Abrera, November 16 • Makers Dance Company, November 23 • Classes & Open photo: Gregory CaryStudios throughtout the season. Tickets KAATSBAAN.ORG Gillian Murphy (Principal, American Ballet Theatre) performing at Kaatsbaan
EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Brian K. Mahoney bmahoney@chronogram.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR David C. Perry dperry@chronogram.com DIGITAL EDITOR Marie Doyon mdoyon@chronogram.com ARTS EDITOR Peter Aaron music@chronogram.com HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITOR Wendy Kagan health@chronogram.com HOME EDITOR Mary Angeles Armstrong home@chronogram.com POETRY EDITOR Phillip X Levine poetry@chronogram.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Anne Pyburn Craig apcraig@chronogram.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Phillip Pantuso ppantuso@chronogram.com
contributors Deborah DeGraffenreid, Amanda Cabanillas, Duval George Culpepper, Lisa Di Venuta, Arvind Dilawar, Niva Dorell, Morgan Y. Evans, Roy Gumpel, Lorelai Kude, Ray Long, Alexandra Marvar, David McIntyre, Matthew Praman-Linton, John Rodat, Jeremy Schwartz, Sparrow, Carl Van Brunt, Kaitlin Van Pelt
PUBLISHING FOUNDERS Jason Stern & Amara Projansky CEO Amara Projansky amara@luminarymedia.com PUBLISHER Jason Stern jstern@luminarymedia.com CHAIRMAN David Dell
media specialists Ralph Jenkins rjenkins@chronogram.com Kelin Long-Gaye k.long-gaye@chronogram.com Jordy Meltzer jmeltzer@chronogram.com Kris Schneider kschneider@chronogram.com Anne Wygal awygal@chronogram.com SALES DEVELOPMENT LEADS Thomas Hansen thansen@chronogram.com SALES MANAGER / CHRONOGRAM SMARTCARD PRODUCT LEAD Lisa Montanaro lisa@chronogram.com
marketing ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Samantha Liotta sliotta@chronogram.com MARKETING SPECIALIST Victoria Levy victoria@chronogram.com
interns EDITORIAL Claudia Larsen MARKETING & SALES Rommyani Basu SOCIAL MEDIA Sierra Flach
administration CUSTOMER SUCCESS & OFFICE MANAGER Molly Sterrs office@chronogram.com; (845) 334-8600x107
EXPERIENCE THE HUDSON VALLEY’S MOST ICONIC RESORT Snuggle up beside a wood-burning fireplace, ice skate in our grand open-air pavilion, and enjoy farm-to-table cuisine from award-winning chefs—all included in your overnight rate. Rejuvenate with a nature-inspired treatment at The Spa at Mohonk Mountain House—ranked the #1 resort spa in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler. Join us on the mountaintop and feel your stresses melt away.
production PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Kerry Tinger ktinger@luminarymedia.com; (845) 334-8600x108 PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Kate Brodowska kate.brodowska@chronogram.com Amy Dooley amy.dooley@chronogram.com
PLAN YOUR DAY ON THE MOUNTAIN FOR SPA & WEEKEND BRUNCH
office 314 Wall Street, Kingston, NY 12401 • (845) 334-8600; fax (845) 334-8610
mission
844.859.6716 | mohonk.com | New Paltz, NY
Chronogram is a regional magazine dedicated to stimulating and supporting the creative and cultural life of the Hudson Valley. All contents © Luminary Media 2019. 12/19 CHRONOGRAM 15
esteemed reader by Jason Stern
Historic Riverfront Hotel and Dining Now booking office gatherings and holiday parties
2 North Water Street, Athens, NY | (518) 444-8317 stewarthouse.com
16 CHRONOGRAM 12/19
“In a perfect world, there would be no place for goodness.” —JG Bennett Esteemed Reader of Our Magazine: As I begin writing this missive, it is late in the evening. There are only embers left in the stove. As I am about to get up and stoke the fire I realize it is Thursday night, which is the eve of the sabbath in the Islamic tradition. It is also the customary time in Central Asian societies to invoke the name of Mushkil Gusha, which, in Farsi, Pashto, and Urdu means “Remover of Difficulties.” Mushkil Gusha is the spirit of help from an unknown source, perhaps even from an unseen world. There is a traditional story that itself is a kind of formula for accessing this wellspring of relief. The story begins by introducing the listener to a woodcutter and his daughter and their life of hard work and simple pleasures. The father toils long days cutting and collecting wood, which he then brings to town to sell. “One day, when he got home very late, the girl said to him: ‘Father, I sometimes wish that we would have some nicer food and more and different kinds of things to eat.’” We hear the formulation of a wish for a finer kind of sustenance, and the woodcutter proceeds to work longer hours, collecting more wood to fulfill his daughter’s yearning. After an arduous day and night toiling in the forest, he finds himself cold, hungry, exhausted, and lost. “He had been full of hope, but that did not seem to have helped him. Now he felt sad, and he wanted to cry. But he realized that crying would not help him either, so he lay down and fell asleep. “Quite soon he woke up again. It was too cold, and he was too hungry to sleep. So he decided to tell himself, as if in a story, everything that had happened to him since his little daughter had first said that she wanted a different kind of food. “As soon as he had finished his story, he thought he heard another voice, saying, somewhere above him, out of the dawn, ‘Old man, what are you doing sitting there?’ “‘I am telling myself my own story.’” The protagonist must give up, become hopeless, and then inquire into the root causes of his predicament. Then he recapitulates all that has happened and, in this process, metabolizes his experience. His attention to and interaction with his state opens contact with some form of help from beyond the realm in which personal efforts and volition can have any effect. This is Mushkil Gusha, Remover of Difficulties. The story conveys a kind of formula by which one can become open to receiving help. The sense of hopelessness or helplessness, in this case, is not a negative or bad thing. It is simply a sign that one has exhausted one’s known resources and has become, in a sense, empty. It is into the vessel of emptiness that something can be received. The source of help is both outside and inside, which is neither here nor there. The help arises from beyond the known and familiar. We find ourselves asking for help when we are full of desire. It could be a desire to be relieved of suffering, to get something we want, or to change something in the world. We are so full of dissatisfaction and reaction that there is no room for the help of a creative insight or a genuine solution to come in. We are left with the question: Can I become empty and open to a creative solution that will lead beyond the realm of my known joys and suffering? Each one is a microcosm of the whole body of humanity. The work to be liberated from unnecessary suffering and become available to be helped is the same work of humanity as a whole. Can we human beings become empty, and as the Hadith states “die before we die” to come into a more truly human and harmonious mode of life on this paradise of earth? Can we let go of our attachment to the old beliefs and models and let a new more harmonious and natural mode of human society emerge? “Will you repeat the story of Mushkil Gusha on Thursday nights, and help the work of Mushkil Gusha?” —Jason Stern
Pools, Spas & Patio Furniture 1606 Ulster Avenue, Lake Katrine (Next to Adams) • 336-8080
Large Display of Casual Patio Furniture Custom Inground Pool Installation Open Year Round Salt Water Spas Available
www.aquajetpools.com
COME & VISIT US! TOUR OUR CRAFT WHISKEY DISTILLERY & TASTE OUR AWARD WINNING SPIRITS
THE HOME OF
Family owned and operated for over 30 years
Bruce offers dental services such as implants, root canals, periodontal treatments, and Invisalign braces, but he also goes one step further. “Transcend means to go beyond normal limits. I also wanted to go beyond my limits in terms of different protocols,” he says. “I’ve invested in a lot of equipment that makes my job more interesting and help others.” State-of-the-art technology allows him to offer magical improvements in care like one-visit crowns and laser fillings.
845·419·2964
TUTHILLTOWN.COM LOCATED IN GARDINER, NY
ENJOY IN SMALL BATCHES. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. HUDSON WHISKEY, 46% ALC/VOL ©2018 DISTRIBUTED BY WILLIAM GRANT & SONS, INC. NEW YORK, NY.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM 17
TMI Project Essay
More Than Just This Moment by Ray Long
In November of last year, a cast of 10 LGBTQ storytellers from around the country, selected from a nationwide call, took part in a TMI Project true storytelling workshop led by James Lecesne, cofounder of the Trevor Project, alongside TMI Project cofounders Eva Tenuto and Julie Novak. The workshop culminated in an off-broadway production,“Life Lines: Queer Stories of Survival.”A documentary about the making of “Life Lines” will be released in 2020. Ray Long was a featured storyteller in “Life Lines.” When she joined TMI Project, she felt isolated because of the shame associated with a past suicide attempt. After performing her survival story, she was emboldened to continue to put her story to good use and share it with a national audience to inspire others who are still struggling and, ultimately, to save lives. If you’re interested in learning more about TMI Project’s work or supporting the creation of radically candid true stories for social change, visit Tmiproject.org/donate2019. After making an online donation, you will receive information about the #truthordaretodonate social media campaign, a fun way to be a spark in igniting human connection through true storytelling.
I “Is there more to this world than where I am in my life now?” I asked. Then they said something I will never forget. “You are worth more than just this moment.” I remained silent. I sat with that. “You are worth more than just this moment.” They sat there with me. They let me sit in silence. They didn’t hang up. They didn’t prompt me to keep talking. They just let me sit in silence. 18 CHRONOGRAM 12/19
looked down at my feet as I kicked them against the brick wall underneath me. I had just moved into a house across the street from the University of Memphis. It was summer, so the campus was bare. I liked walking the empty paths at night alone. It was peaceful. It was one of the only times I enjoyed the quiet. But, on this particular day, I found myself on top of a six-story parking garage. The summer breeze helped cut the humidity down and it felt nice. I leaned against the wall before I climbed up onto it, stood, and looked down. After about 10 minutes of feeling the breeze on my face, I decided to sit. Just for a moment. Earlier that day, I had come home from work to my roommate giving me a hard time. They always gave me a hard time about something or another. I was never good enough for them. I moved to Memphis specifically for them but once I arrived, they cut me off from people completely and wouldn’t let me leave the house. When I eventually got a job, they let up a bit, but not much. I still needed to check in every day. All the time. I hated it. I also hated being alone. Except for that night on the wall. Then, all I wanted was to be alone. For the first time in a long time, my brain was silent. That never happened. “Maybe that just goes to show that my decision is the right one,” I thought as the calm breeze brushed up against my skin. For the first time since I arrived in Memphis, I felt at peace. I pulled out my phone to text my mom. I missed her more than anything. I knew I hurt her when I impulsively moved here with no plan in place. I felt bad about it. And, I felt bad that I’d never get to hug her again and tell her I’m sorry.
“I hope she forgives me for what I’m about to do and doesn’t blame herself. It’s not her fault I’m here. I’m the one that put myself here,” I thought as I unlocked my phone. A web page appeared. I was surprised. The campus WiFi didn’t usually reach all the way up there. Earlier, I had seen a sticker on a light pole for the Trevor Project. I love stickers. I thought the Trevor Project was a theater thing. It’s not. It’s a suicide lifeline for LGBTQ youth that somehow, by divine intervention, I had accidentally stumbled upon. I laid my phone in my lap and looked out over the campus and let out a long sigh. I looked back down at the webpage and clicked the phone number. It automatically dialed and my phone prompted me: Do you want to call this number? I stared at the prompt. I didn’t know, did I? I mean, I guess I did since I clicked the number. I hit yes, put the phone on speaker and set it on the wall next to me. I don’t remember much of the actual call but someone kind picked up and at some point, I asked them, “Why do I feel the way I feel?” The person on the other end simply said, “I can’t answer that question.” I asked, “Is there more to this world than where I am in my life now?” Then they said something I will never forget. “You are worth more than just this moment.” I remained silent. I sat with that. “You are worth more than just this moment.” They sat there with me. They let me sit in silence. They didn’t hang up. They didn’t prompt me to keep talking. They just let me sit in silence. Eventually, I pulled my legs to the other side of the wall. With my feet on the ground, I managed to whisper, “Thank you.” I was surprised I could even speak. I didn’t want them to know I was crying. For some reason, I wanted to seem like I’m stronger than I feel. I hung up a few minutes later and sat on the roof for another hour. Eventually, the wind died down, the humidity increased, and it was too hot. I walked back to the house, where I found my roommate drunk, who immediately started yelling at me, asking me where I had gone and why I wasn’t answering their texts and phone calls. I simply kept walking. I went to my room and locked the door. Not tonight. If you are in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgment-free place to talk, call the TrevorLifeline at (866) 488-7386 or the National Suicide Lifeline at (800) 273-8255.
editor’s note
by Brian K. Mahoney
Holiday Orphans
M
y family took in orphans for the holidays. Not actual parentless children, mind you, but grownass people with nowhere to go. Postal workers and industrial parts salespeople. German exchange students and maiden aunts. They fell into two main categories: colleagues and roommates who were far from home, and friends with suboptimal familial situations who preferred our family to their own. On Thanksgiving and Christmas, there was always room for another place at the table; when we ran out of seats, we’d just add a card table. Or two. Each successive holiday at our house seemed to generate its own “orphan” story that was added to family lore. There was the Thanksgiving Wally had five Harvey Wallbangers before dinner and slept through it on the couch. Poor John, whose name will live in infamy for adding Parmesan cheese to the mashed potatoes. My brother’s girlfriend, Sophia, who worked with him in construction, was goaded into telling us how she murdered a yappy Maltese on a job site by dumping the dog in a vat of tar. Cousin Mary from Kansas City, who made her meatballs with raisins. Ebony, who spent all of Christmas in her Winnie the Pooh onesie. On New Year’s Day, mom threw an open-house party, an old-time New York society tradition dating back to a time when friends would go from house to house raising a glass for the year to come. People moved through the house by the dozens, with a constant ferrying of coats up and down the stairs. There were chafing dishes of food crowding the table. The ice bucket needed constant refilling for drinks and more drinks. Jim Flaherty, a building inspector who trained as a classical pianist, led holiday singalongs at the baby grand and was all hands under the mistletoe. Jim, who spent his days sticking his head into crawl spaces and airshafts, would eventually die of histoplasmosis, an infection caused by fungal spores in pigeon shit. ( Jim’s death would spark a lifelong hatred of pigeons in my father, who would shoot them with a pellet rifle for spite and sport on Saturday afternoons.) If mom was worried there wasn’t enough food to feed all the guests—despite the fact that she always prepared more than
enough—word would go out to one of the children, who would whisper it to the others: FHB. Family hold back. My siblings and I would add food to our plates sparingly, under the watchful gaze of our mother, who would eventually give the all-clear signal that we could now stuff ourselves in the time-honored holiday fashion. I don’t know how exactly we became the holiday orphanage, but I imagine it was a mix of my mother’s upbringing, which made much of the role of good hostess, and the general boisterousness of our family. We made such a clatter that our gatherings felt capacious and inviting. One could either dive into the maelstrom or lounge poolside, but you were welcome to come as you were and do as you liked. (Unlike those deadly quiet homes where it feels like nothing is ever out of place, nothing was ever broken by children acting like actual children, no one ever got too tipsy or did something memorably stupid, and no one knew what joy felt like.) And now, at the age of 49, I find myself a literal and metaphorical orphan—no parents and no clear sense of where to spend the holidays. Aside from one disorienting Christmas spent in Florida (85 degrees and sunny) when Lee Anne and I were first dating, I’ve always gathered with my family in Queens. What now? Our parents were the magnetic force that drew our family together—filial piety runs strong in the Mahoneys. We showed up for every holiday. Without the pull of our parents, I wonder if my siblings and I will eventually fly apart into our own holiday constellations of Friendsgivings and Friendsmases and Friendukkahs and Friendzaas. And we have our own nuclear families, of course. But the holidays without my parents and without bickering with my siblings will seem deeply strange. It was never about the pilgrims or Jesus with us (okay, it was about Jesus for a while; then the whole pedophile priest thing soured mom on the Church). It was about getting together for the holidays. It’s just what family does. But just not anymore—at least not in the same way. So watch the mail, because Lee and I will either be adopting a bunch of misfits and sending out invites or politely pleading for a seat at your table. 12/19 CHRONOGRAM 19
Holiday Guide Celebrate all the Hudson Valley has to offer when you shop locally this Holiday Season.
Your source for joyful holiday gifts!
Flowers, Beautiful Jewelry Unique Gifts Gifts. Extraordinary Extraordinary Flowers, Beautiful Jewelry andand Unique 1204 Rt. 213, High Falls, NY 12440
1204 RT. 213, HIGH FALLS, NY THEGREENCOTTAGE.COM 845-687-4810 TheGreenCottage.com 845-687-4810 Photo by Uplift Photography
Extraordinary Flowers, Beautiful Jewelry and Unique Gifts
GIFTS • JEWELRY • CLOTHING • FASHION ACCESSORIES • SWELL STUFF
334 Wall Street, Kingston 845-338-8100
1204 RT. 213, HIGH FALLS, NY THEGREENCOTTAGE.COM 845-687-4810
Extraordinary Flowers, Beautiful Jewelry and Unique Gifts 1204 RT. 213, HIGH FALLS, NY THEGREENCOTTAGE.COM 845-687-4810
A great place to meet great dear A santa , place to meet is it really true that people went to stores to shop? A great place to meet
yes, it was called
“shopping local”
ho ho ho happy holidays!
Pet Pet Country Country PET FOODS & SUPPLIES
well-being PET of your pet. If&pets could talk, they’d FOODS SUPPLIES EVERYTHING FOR THE CARE, FUN & WELL-BEING YOUR PET. well-being of your If pets could talk,OF they’d say, “take me to thepet. country... Pet Country!” IfEVERYTHING pets could talk, they’d say, “takeFUN me & to WELL-BEING the country... PET COUNTRY!” FOR THE CARE, OF YOUR PET. say, “take me to the country... Pet Country!”
Pet Country
If pets could talk, they’d say, “take me to the country... PET COUNTRY!”
20 HOLIDAY GIFTS AND ENTERTAINING CHRONOGRAM 12/19
6830 Rt. 9 (justPET south of the& 9G junction) Rhinebeck FOODS SUPPLIES your pet. If pets could talk,Rhinebeck they’d 6830well-being Rt. 9 (justofsouth of the 9G junction) 845-876-9000 EVERYTHING FOR THE CARE, FUN & WELL-BEING OF YOUR PET. say, “take me to 845-876-9000 country... Pet Country!” Mon-Sat •the Sun • Closed Tuesdays Shop Local—We’re your neighbors! If pets could9am-6pm talk, they’d say, “take9am-4pm me to the country... PET COUNTRY!” Mon-Sat 9am-6pm • Sun 9am-4pm • Closed Shop Local—We’re your neighbors! visit us at petcountryusa .com Tuesdays 6830 Rt. 9 (just south of the 9G junction) Rhinebeck 845-876-9000 Mon-Sat 9am-6pm • Sun 9am-4pm • Closed Tuesdays Shop Local—We’re your neighbors!
YOHJI YAMAMOTO VIVIENNE WESTWOOD RICK OWENS VIBE HARSLØF BERNHARD WILLHELM COMME des GARÇONS COMME des GARÇONS HOMME PLUS BAO BAO ISSEY MIYAKE ISSEY MIYAKE PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE HOMME PLISSÉ ANNTIAN HENRIK VIBSKOV WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK Y-3
1 Warren Street, Hudson NY
|
1 (518) 249-4786
|
www.KASURI.com
12/19 CHRONOGRAM HOLIDAY GIFTS AND ENTERTAINING 21
LTRY FARM & MA U O P S ’ O RKE TR Our own T A T farm-raised QU chickens pheasants •
ducks • geese venison • capon
QUATTRO’S BEER WALL
now selling craft beer growlers
Order your Christmas Goose! VISIT OUR FARM ARM STORE & CUSTOM BUTCHER VISIT OUR FARM STORE SHOP FOR FINE QUALITY MEATS: RT. 44, PLEASANT VALLEY Prime Rib • Crown (845) 635-2018Roasts Fresh or Smoked Hams • Leg of Lamb & More
RT. 44, PLEASANT VALLEY (845) 635-2018 POULTRY FARM & GOURMET MARKET
A holiday on huguenot street & community tree lighting
SSTATE TAATSBURGH HISTORIC SITE
December 6 & 7, 2019
huguenotstreet.org/holiday-2019 to learn more Sponsored by Ulster Savings Bank; Americas Best Value Inn; Lothrop Associates; Riverside Bank, A Division of Salisbury Bank and Trust; and Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union
Spiritual Boutique Unique Gifts Crystals Spiritual Tools Fair Trade Imports Bespoke Rituals Workshops
MAJESTICHUDSON.COM ~ 845.581.0955 ~
Blissful Experiences
Discount code: “TRIBELOVE” for 15% off Online Holiday Orders! H U D S O N VA L L E Y ’ S C A T B O A R D I N G & S I T T I N G
Pussyfoot Lodge
A unique stress-free B&B built for cats, offering views, in individual, multi-level, large sunny rooms. Here, pets receive individual medical, emotional and dietary attention. In-home care is offered for pets not willing to travel or leave the comforts of their own home. STONE R I DGE , N Y • (845) 687- 0330 • PUSSY FOOTLODGE.COM
22 HOLIDAY GIFTS AND ENTERTAINING CHRONOGRAM 12/19
American Splendor in the Downton Abbey Era 845.889.8851 Staatsburg, NY Facebook.com/StaatsburghSHS
Holiday
Pop-Up Shop
handmade holiday decor & gift boutique
VIRIDESCENT FLORAL DESIGN STUDIO 45 Beekman Street Beacon, NY 12508
November
30th-December 22nd
thursday-monday 11AM- 6PM @ v i r i fl o r a l d e s i g n w w w . v i r i fl o r a l d e s i g n . c o m
ystal r C
116 Sullivan st
Co n nnectio
Wurtsboboro NY
~ Welcome to our World ~
Your Metaphysical Destination & Crystal Experience Air BnB Store Wide Sales through December 30th ~ Then Closing for the Season~ 845-888-2547 CrystalConnectionNewYork.com
10 Main Street, Suite 424 New Paltz, NY
Located on the second floor of the Water Street Market.
salixintimates.com 845-633-8028
EQ @salixintimates
12/19 CHRONOGRAM HOLIDAY GIFTS AND ENTERTAINING 23
Sponsored
Discover Uptown Kingston
1
2
ET FAIR STRE
PARKING
1
7
3
Kingston Plaza
E RIV KD
PARKING
EN HW SC
Uptown Kingston is full of great things to see and do. Spend the day with us. Explore the shops and businesses. Visit our notable historic sites.
NORTH FRONT STREET
Plaza Rd. (845) 338-6300 Kingstonplaza.com 35 shops including dining, wine & spirits, beauty & fashion, hardware, fitness, banking, grocery, and pharmacy.
6
5
4 PEACE PARK
UE EN AV
11
12 FAIR
E
EET STR
ENU
S AV
A LUC
REET
JOHN ST
PERSEN HOUSE
Kingston Consignment
RE WALL ST
VOLUNTEER FIREMEN’S MUSEUM
ET
PARKING
ATM KINGSTON FARMERS’ MARKET Every Saturday May – Nov. CROWN ST
ATM
KINGSTON WINTER MARKET Every Other Saturday Dec. – April
EE
REET
Rocket Number Nine Records
N R ST EE
14
T
FRIENDS OF HISTORIC KINGSTON
OLD DUTCH CHURCH
ATM
IN MA
ATM
EET
STR
15
334 Wall St. (845) 802-5900 Boptotottom.com The corner store that is a cornerstone. 7
10
REET
JOHN ST
66 N. Front St. (845) 481-5759 Kingstonconsignments.com Two stories of antiques, vintage clothing, tools, electronics, lighting, and more.
Bop to Tottom
N TO IN
9
50 N. Front St. (845) 331-8217 Rocketnumber9records@gmail.com Best selection of vinyl in the Hudson Valley. We buy records. 6
13
8
GR
5
EET
STREET CROWN
UE VEN ON A INGT
H WAS
4
POTTER REALTY Properties LLC
Dietz Stadium Diner 127 N. Front St. (845) 331-5321 Dietzstadiumdiner.com Where everyone is treated like family.
STR
ET
PARKING
151 Plaza Rd. (845) 338-6300 Herzogs.com A family owned hardware store featuring building supplies, paint, kitchen & bath design center, power tools, garden center, and gifts. 3
REET WALL ST
E STR
Herzog’s Home & Paint Center
CL
FAIR
EN GRE
2
SENATE HOUSE STATE HISTORIC SITE
IN MA
EET
STR
Snowflake Festival Coming December 6th For more info: kingstonuptown.org
8
Exit 19
10
309 Wall St. (845) 514-2485 Exitnineteen.com A unique and ever-changing emporium of home furnishings, art, lighting and gifts. 11 9
Hotel Kinsley
Oak 42
12
34 John St. (845) 339-0042 Oak42.com A clothing and lifestyle boutique offering fashion, home goods, and accessories.
Hamilton and Adams 32 John St. (845) 383-1039 Men’s apparel, skin care, gifts, and more.
301 Wall Street (845) 768-3620 Hotelkinsley.com Hotel Kinsley is a collection of four individually distinct 19th century buildings comprised of 43 guest rooms and a restaurant closely nestled throughout the historic Stockade 24 HOLIDAY GIFTS Kingston. AND ENTERTAINING CHRONOGRAM 12/19 district in uptown
Kingston Opera House
14
275 Fair St. (845) 331-0898 Potterrealtymanagement@gmail.com Commercial storefronts and 2 levels of handicap accessible offices. Leasing property to tenants. Call Potter Realty Management. 13
Potter Realty 1 John St. (845) 331-0898 Potterrealtymanagement@gmail.com Leasing office and commercial space in Uptown Kingston.
Crown 10 Crown St. (845) 663-9003 10crownstreet.com Lounge featuring bespoke libations, seasonal cocktails, along with local beer and wines.
15
Hurley Motorsports 2779 State Route 209 (845) 338-1701 Hurleymotorsportsinc.com
The Hudson Valley’s Audi specialists. Family-owned and operated for 18 years.
This directory is a paid supplement.
Chronogram Smartcard Eat Out, Save Big—On Us You can save up to 50% at over 25 local Hudson Valley restaurants, right this very minute, just by following three easy steps: 1. Download the free Chronogram Smartcard through the App Store or Google Play. (See? That wasn’t hard, was it? It’s great when things are free.) 2. Head to any of the participating Chronogram Smartcard restaurants in over 15 towns throughout the Hudson Valley and enjoy a meal that is deliciously seasonal (or healthy, hearty, fried, or boozy—we won’t judge). 3. Add funds to your account in advance or select “pay now” to pay with your credit card when the check comes. Then tip in cash on your full bill amount (because it’s better for your server, and they’ll love you for it). Curious about what else is waiting for you when you join Chronogram Smartcard? You’ll find:
A Hidden Mecca of Beer Make your way down the stairs beside Barner Books on Church Street in New Paltz and you’ll uncover a subterranean refuge with rustic stone walls and a crowd of bacchanal pilgrims from the local beer movement who have come to sample Arrowood Farm Brewery’s finest pours. If the words “New York State-grown hops” is your idea of a good time, this tasting room is ready to welcome you with open arms.
The Crack in the Space-Time Continuum Beacon’s Pandorica is New York’s premier “Doctor Who”-themed restaurant, so it comes as no surprise that the restaurant reverently references past episode plots with inspired artwork like Van Gogh’s (fictional) famous lost masterpiece, Blue Box Exploding Tardis, themed accessories like Tardis tea cozies, and homages to the cast. The comfort food-centric menu, which starts with “spoilers” and ends with “sweeties,” is also filled with subtle, “timey-wimey” Easter eggs that are sure to delight spontaneous visitors and exceptionally lengthy, rainbow scarf-toting fans of the show alike.
ALQUEMA
Arrowood Outpost, arrowoodfarms.com
Red
Mannequin ted c e p x Une ! y a d i l Ho
The Pandorica Restaurant, thepandoricarestaurant.com
A Path to Better Beef If you wholeheartedly endorse the European style of shopping at individual purveyors who are specialists in their craft (and wish America hadn’t replaced the butcher, the baker, and the pasta-maker with Walmart), then Cold Spring’s Marbled Meat Shop is for you. This whole-animal butcher and prepared-foods shop works with small, family-owned farms who pasture-raise their animals using humane practices. The shop also carries fine cheeses, charcuterie, and a hearty menu of sandwiches, soups, and prepared foods—because, well, driving to 12 different shops is actually really hard sometimes.
Marbled Meat Shop, marbledmeatshop.com
Your Brain-Gut Connection Sure, it’s all the rage these days as a dietary trend, but we promise you that eating healthfully can actually be supremely tasty, too. Newburgh’s Bliss Kitchen turns out classic Indian dishes based on the ancient tradition of ayurveda, a sister practice of yoga. The vegetarian menu at Bliss is where exquisitely crispy pakoras stuffed with spiced potato, broccoli, and bell pepper meet their match in a tangy tamarind dipping sauce and where you can load up a plate at the buffet and actually feel good about it, too.
Bliss Kitchen, Upstateayurveda.com/kitchen
redmannequin697@gmail.com
508 WARREN STREET, HUDSON NY @redmannequin_hudson
redmannequinHUDSON
EXCITING · UNIQUE · SURPRISING ALQUEMA · CP SHADES · CHAN LUU · JAMES PERSE · TRIPPEN · In2 DESIGN
12/19 CHRONOGRAM HOLIDAY GIFTS AND ENTERTAINING 25
food & drink
Second Line Fever MAMA ROUX by Brian K. Mahoney
A
ttention! There’s an upscale restaurant in Newburgh where you can get a twopiece order of fried chicken with a side of greens for under $10. Legit-good fried chicken. In the world of the $16 burger, this is a near miracle. The restaurant, Mama Roux, takes its name from a song by New Orleans’ own Dr. John. It’s owned by NOLA native Sterling Knight. “I wanted to price the menu so it appeals to everybody,” she says. More on that fried chicken in a moment, but first, some background on the Big Easy. Brass band parades in New Orleans are composed of two sections, or “lines.” The first line is the main group, featuring the band and the official club being represented. The second line follows the band and dances, often twirling parasols or handkerchiefs in the air. Second lining, as it’s called, is the quintessential New Orleans dance style—self-assured, equal parts elegance and funk, with a whiff of voodoo. After a couple of trips to Mama Roux, I, like many Newburgh residents, have caught the second-line fever for the city’s newest restaurant, which serves New Orleans fare informed by a country-French sensibility. Any telling of how Mama Roux came to be should probably begin with Philippe Pierre, a former advertising executive who saw an opportunity in Newburgh’s real estate sector. The company Pierre cofounded, Liberty Street Partners, began buying property in 2014, both residential and commercial. One of the first 26 FOOD & DRINK CHRONOGRAM 12/19
buildings in his portfolio, 115 Liberty Street, across from Washington’s Headquarters, was “the ugliest building on the block,” according to Pierre, though that did not stop him from opening Palate Wines & Spirits in its empty storefront. (He later secured grant funding to restore the building’s historic facade.) A year later, Pierre opened Ms. Fairfax, a casual bistro that’s become a community hub and further contributed to the rebirth of the Liberty Street Corridor. Around the same time, Pierre’s firm bought a long-vacant four-story building on the corner of Broadway and Liberty Street—an eyesore with potential. Working with the Newburgh Community Land Bank and various funding sources, Liberty Street Partners gave the building a complete makeover, building out six apartments (four low-income, two market-rate) upstairs. Pierre thought the storefront should house a restaurant, so he gave his sister-in-law, Sterling Knight, a call. Knight is a former model who transitioned into the service industry nearly a decade ago, working in bars and restaurants in New York City; Sydney, Australia; and Chicago, where she oversaw the opening of Cindy’s at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel. While working for others, Knight gave herself on-the-job training in restaurant management, soaking up every aspect of the industry with a goal in mind—opening her own place.
Like many before her, Knight felt the magnetic pull of Newburgh once she started spending time there. “Newburgh reminds me a lot of New Orleans,” Knight says. “There is grit, there’s beauty, and it’s not totally done.” And the New Orleans-meets-country French concept not only fit her background, but also her market research—especially the fried chicken. “If you look at the algorithms of what people will go for,” Knight says, “you find that if you do one of these four things correctly—pizza, burgers, tacos, fried chicken—people will line up for it.” So, Mama Roux leans heavily on fried chicken, cheekily served in a paper bucket (whole chicken for $16) or perched on waffles at brunch ($15). Mama Roux opened in late October after two-and-a-half years of plotting, planning, and renovation by Knight, Pierre, and associates. The restaurant’s decor has a timeless quality, pairing vintage light fixtures and elegant wallpaper with more modern elements like the brushed concrete floor. A mural of a stately pelican looms over the back-corner booth, a silent avian sentinel. The wide windows on Liberty Street and Broadway flood the room with light during the day and offer a topnotch view of the city at night. Even at 56 seats, the room maintains its intimacy. The overarching effect is one of strange familiarity—Mama Roux just opened, but it feels like it’s been there for ages. The distressed mirror behind the bar helps. The kitchen is helmed by Matty Hutchins, who is executing and expanding upon Knight’s
Left to right: Chef Matty Hutchins (photo by Brian Wolfe); two pieces of fried chicken are only $6 at Mama Roux (photo by Edouard Pierre); the dining room (photo by Brian Wolfe); the adventurous cocktail program features drinks like Midnight Mary, a sideways glance at a Bloody Mary (photo by Ann Stratton); a mural of a stately pelican presides over the restaurant from the back wall (photo by Brian Wolfe). Bottom right: The historic building housing Mama Roux (photo by Ann Stratton).
NOLA-adjacent concept. Hutchins made a name for himself as the chef at the Hop in Beacon and had to be lured back from Atlanta. Hutchins’s food surprises, if only because the menu hides gems in plain sight. For instance, take the hash tart ($4). It’s listed under “Sides” without preamble or description. We ordered it only for want of potatoes. But when we broke open the scone-like presentation and tasted the black-eyed peas potato pocket, we were entranced. It eats like a gratin but is light as a feather, an ethereal gift disguised as a potato pocket. The chicken liver pâté ($14) receives more prominent billing, but exceeds expectations as well. For starters, it’s covered in a fine black snow— black trumpet mushroom dust. It’s encircled by a Meyer lemon vinaigrette and paired with Von Trapp Farmstead’s buttery, nutty Oma cheese. The liver flavor is subtle, not like you’re ingesting the entire organ of a bird in one bite. Tart, creamy, and umami-forward, it’s served with a grilled baguette. It’s enough to drive to Newburgh for. The menu is capacious. The eight appetizers also include a perhaps too-heavy wild mushroom poutine ($12), though, what was I expecting of poutine? Five salads, ranging from a Bibb lettuce and blue cheese ($12) to a steak and chicory ($18), all featuring either protein, dairy, or boiled egg, in true Fat-Tuesday style. There’s also a handful of sandwiches: muffuletta ($16), New Orleans’ take on the Italian combo; fried oyster po’ boy ($14); and a grilled pimento grilled cheese
on sourdough ($12) that’s so oozy-gooey it’s best eaten as an open-faced sandwich. For brunch, the blackened shrimp and grits ($17) is a standout. Served with cider-braised collards, tasso, and a poached egg, Chef Hutchins nails the spice on the shrimp, balancing the chili and herb notes for a pop of heat that doesn’t obliterate the milder egg and polenta flavors. Draft lines have yet to be installed, but there are a dozen beers in bottles and cans, from Miller High Life ($4) to Newburgh Brewing Company’s Brown Ale ($4). The wine list is short—five whites, five reds—but a well-curated selection of old world wines, including Alois Lageder’s northern Italian Chardonnay ($11) and a light but chewy Lulumi Pinot Noir from LanguedocRoussilon ($12). The cocktail program has some interesting choices, foremost among them the Midnight Mary ($11), a sideways glance at a Blood Mary, which is strained and served straight up, in a coupe with pickled vegetables. The drink’s aggressive vegetal taste reminded my dining companion of minestrone, in a pleasant way. Mama Roux—like Dr. John, like second lining, like New Orleans itself—is informed by tradition but not a slave to it. Mama Roux is not some ersatz Brennan’s, churning out turtle soup and seafood gumbo. Its Southern hospitality, relaxed elegance, and solid food—all filtered through the irrepressible optimism that’s infectious in certain sectors of Newburgh—position it for success.
Mama Roux
96 Broadway, Newburgh (845) 561-5363; Mama-roux.com Mama Roux serves lunch and dinner Tuesday to Saturday; open from 11am to 10pm. Sunday brunch is served from 10am to 4pm.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM FOOD & DRINK 27
The Hudson Valley’s Premier Restaurant & Event Space
Brunch •Lunch •Dinner •Events 1379 US 9, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 | @heritagefooddrink | 845.298.1555 | www.heritagefooddrink.com
BEER FROM THE GROUND UP
GET A 5% DISCOUNT WHEN YOU MENTION CHRONOGRAM
Locations FARM BREWERY TAPROOM IN ACCORD
20 Garden St. Rhinebeck NY (845) 516-5197
Fri. 5-10pm | Sat. 12-10pm | Sun. 12-8pm
236 L O W E R W H I T F I E L D R O A D A C C O R D , N Y
ARROWOOD OUTPOST IN NEW PALTZ
Wed. + Thurs. 4-10pm | Fri. 12-11pm | Sat. 12-11pm | Sun. 12-8pm 3B C H U R C H S T . N E W P A L T Z , N Y PANINIS, SMALL BITES AND SPECIALS
WWW.ARROWOODFARMS.COM 28 FOOD & DRINK CHRONOGRAM 12/19
338 Route 212 Saugerties NY (845) 247-3665
w w w. b u n s b u r g e r s n y. c o m
the drink Yesfolk Tonics
I
n Troy, in a late 19th-century brick church building in a downstairs space beneath the altar that was, at one point, the focal point for Catholic practice of perpetual adoration, visitors can find the inner sanctum of Yesfolk Tonic’s kombucha- and kefir-making operations. When Yesfolk cofounders Yiyi Mendoza and Adam Elabd moved to the Capital Region from California in 2016, with a fermentation cookbook and roster of workshops under their belt, they expected to be greeted by the same basementbrewing, pro-fermentation culture their had left on the West Coast. While there was certainly a growing interest in healthy and sustainable eating, the ‘booch scene wasn’t quite where it is today. But they kept making their kombuchas and kefirs, and soon local shops and restaurants were offering to sell their homemade probiotic sodas. “If we were still in California, we would never have thought to open a kombucha or kefir company because there are plenty already,” Mendoza says. “But this was something we could bring to this community.”
The trick to good kombucha, according to the Yesfolk team, is brewing in natural materials like American oak and glass. Diverging from the classic black-tea brew, Yesfolk offers five tonics using beyond-organic, single-origin tea bases: jasmine, yaupon, Black Dragon, Royal Phoenix, and Emerald. They also offer two plant-therapy flavors using adaptogenic and medicinal herbs like Soft Rays, a green-tea kombucha infused with tulsi, St. John’s wort, and saffron. Their website even recommends food and spirit pairings, like the Black Dragon, which plays nicely with stout, mescal, carne asada tacos, and massaman curry. Saturdays from 1pm to 6pm, Eladb, Mendoza, her brothers Frank and Javier, and her cousins Santiago Alcaraz and Daniel Siordia—all of whom relocated from California to help grow the Yesfolk business—can be found pouring tastes of fermented beverages on tap at the Church. Yesfolktonics.com —Alexandra Marvar
12/19 CHRONOGRAM FOOD & DRINK 29
62 Main Street, New Paltz, NY (845) 256-0101 62 Main Street, New Paltz, NY (845) 256-0100
www.bsidegrill.com
Farm-to-table, all-vegetarian, Indian meals based on the ancient dietary practices of Ayurveda.
Mon–Sat: 11-9pm, Sun: 11-4pm 94 South Robinson Ave., Newburgh, NY | 845-245-6048
THE
PANDORICA RESTAURANT 165 Main St, Beacon (845) 831-6287 thepandoricarestaurant.com
30 FOOD & DRINK CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Doctor Who themed restaurant serving a varied international menu. Many gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options.
sips & bites The Hudson Valley’s finest chocolatiers, farmers, and tea blenders are excelling in the prestigious 2019 Good Food Awards. In assessing candidates, the Good Food Foundation pays close attention to a company’s social and environmental sustainability, their community involvement, and, of course, the quality of their product. We’re happy to report on the five upstate New York businesses that beat out over 1,500 contenders to make the list of Good Food Awards finalists. The winners will be announced at a gala in San Francisco on January 17.
A HOLIDAY RUSH YOU’LL LOVE PLACE YOUR BAKERY ORDER AT ANY OF OUR RESTAURANTS
Casella’s Salumi: Prosciutto Speciale Following the traditions of norcini—butchers who travelled the Italian countryside preparing and seasoning meat—the formula at Casella’s Salumi in Hurleyville is steeped in old-world ways. They start with humanely raised, small, family-farm pigs—rare heritage breeds that have been raised for generations to culture the perfect balance of fat and muscle. Then, with the proper knowledge of salting, seasoning, and timing, Casella’s creators craft cured perfection that brings out the nuttiness, juiciness, and individual flavor of the meat. Their product can be found in gourmet markets across the Hudson Valley.
Fruition Chocolate Works: Spring Salted Dark Milk, Dominican Hispaniola Dark, and Madagascar Sambirano Dark The Hudson Valley is full of treasures hidden in plain view. Fruition’s production facility is located next to a pizzeria off of Route 28 in Boiceville, in a building where customers can watch employees as they make, package, and deliver ethically sourced, small-batch products ranging from chocolate-covered pistachios to a rich hot chocolate mix. It’s no wonder Fruition was nominated for three different chocolate bars, ranging from a milky to a pure dark essence. These sensational products can be found in markets, cafes, or at the company’s retail location in Woodstock.
ImmuneSchein Ginger Elixirs: Ginger Turmeric Any health nut knows that turmeric and ginger are important medicinepantry warriors in the fight against cold and flu season. ImmuneSchein, based out of West Hurley, is the creator of a turmeric-ginger elixir that is the Good Food Award defending champions, as they won in 2019. The creators at ImmuneSchein use organic ginger, turmeric, and lemons to blend their immune-boosting tonics in small batches. As they say on their site, “No Water. No Vinegar. No Tea. No Alcohol. No Powders. No Additives. No Extracts, No Fillers. No Oils. No Artificial Flavors & No Preservatives. Just Food!” The 8.5-oz bottles ($18) of the turmeric-ginger elixir can be added to water, smoothies, or vodka, or can be consumed on its own. And this is just one of over a dozen signature and seasonal blends (others include Citra Hops, Elderberry, and Ceylon Cinnamon).
2521 C SOUTH ROAD (RTE 9) POUGHKEEPSIE, NY 12601 T: 845. 849. 2839 TABLETALKDINER.COM SUN-THURS 6AM-11PM FRI-SAT 6AM-12AM
2019 BEST OF THE H U DS O N VA L L E Y
WINNER
O U T D O O R
D I N I N G
H U D S O N VA L L E Y M A G A Z I N E
Seek North Kombucha: Seek Immunity (Elderflower/Pineapple) We’re bursting with pride to report that a former Luminary Media staffer, Julian Lesser, started Seek North with his partner Philippe Trinh, and in a few short years their immune-boosting elderflower/pineapple flavor has been shortlisted for a Good Food Award. The product, made in their Kingston kitchen, is raw and unfiltered. The probiotics found in each drink aid digestive health and promote immunity. Using a cutting-edge device called the spinning cone column, SeekNorth separates the alcohol content from the kombucha without affecting the probiotic or nutrient profile. Seek North’s kombucha is available in restaurants, markets, and breweries in Newburgh, Beacon, Poughkeepsie, New Paltz, and Monroe.
Nettle Meadow Farm and Artisan Cheese: Kunik We’re sneaking a wee bit outside of our coverage area—closer to Lake George than it is to Lake Minnewaska—to adopt Nettle Meadow and their award-winning Kunik cheese. Plus, restaurants throughout the Hudson Valley serve it up on their cheese boards, and with good reason. Finishing second in the 2019 US Cheese Championships and a previous winner of the Good Food Award, the goat-milk-and-cow-cream blend is as rich and tangy with a side of fruits as it is lathered on a hunk of rustic bread. Nettle Meadow Farm in Warrensburg provides a sanctuary for animals of all species and ages and practices humane animal husbandry practices, like respecting the natural production period of their goats, and offering adoptions of their younger critters that have been dropped off or rescued. Turns out happier animals make better cheese. —Matthew Praman-Linton
387 SOUTH STREET HIGHLAND, NY 12528 (845) 883-0866 facebook.com/gunkhaus
12/19 CHRONOGRAM FOOD & DRINK 31
New Orleans Style Cuisine — Open 7 Days — Sunday Brunch 11-4 • Outdoor Seating with Sunset Views Craft Cocktails & Craft Beer Wednesday - 1/2 Price Bottles of Wine theparishrestaurant . com
845.255.4205
water street market, new paltz
Authentic treats for all your family traditions.
T H E B A K E RY 13A North Front St. New Paltz, NY ilovet hebaker y.c om
coffee · soup · salads · sandwiches · scratch made baked goods
New Paltz’s hidden tropical escape, serving island style since 2019. Sample the largest rum selection in the Hudson Valley.
B I S T R O
lunch
•
brunch
10 Plattekill Ave, New Paltz, NY
•
We are proud to be offering the freshest local fare of the Hudson Valley, something that is at the core of our food philosophy. OPEN 5 DAYS A WEEK
Serving breakfast & lunch all day 8:30 - 4:30 PM Closed Mondays and Tuesdays CATERING FOR ALL OCCASIONS
845-255-4949 2356 RT. 44/55 Gardiner NY 12525 VISIT US ONLINE
www.miogardiner.com
32 FOOD & DRINK CHRONOGRAM 12/19
•
dinner
845 419 5007
•
215 Main St., New Paltz, NY 845-332-2109
runabistro.com
fuchsiatikibar.com f | l @fuchsiatikibar
79 Main Street New Paltz 845-255-2244 Open 7 Days
of Full Line uts C ld o C ic n Orga king o o C e and Hom ssen Delicate
Local Organic Grass-Fed Beef • Lamb • Goat • Veal • Pork • Chicken • Wild Salmon
No Hormones ~ No Antibiotics ~ No Preservatives Custom Cut • Home Cooking Delicatessen Nitrate-Free Bacon • Pork Roasts • Beef Roasts Bone-in or Boneless Ham: smoked or fresh Local Organic Beef • Exotic Meats (Venison, Buffalo, Ostrich) • Wild Fish
WHAT ARE YOU HUNGRY FOR?
USE THE APP --> PICK YOUR RESTAURANT. GET UP TO 50% OFF YOUR ORDER. IT’S THAT SIMPLE.
Give LOVE this holiday season! OPEN EVERY DAY! LOVE APPLE FARM.COM 1421 ROUTE 9H • GHENT NY 12075 • (518) 828 - 5048
From appetizers to signature cocktails, we’ve got you covered on your big day!
On & Off Site Catering Available
DOWNLOAD THE APP. IT’S FREE! AVAILABLE ON THE APP STORE AND GOOGLE PLAY
12/19 CHRONOGRAM FOOD & DRINK 33
The large pond was the first thing Eric Schmidt noticed about the open seven acres of land that was to become the site of the modernist-inspired home. Built by the previous owner for his wife, the pond was stocked with koi so the couple could feed them together as they sat by the water’s edge.
34 HOME & GARDEN CHRONOGRAM 12/19
the house
Do What You Love, Design Will Follow A BLENDED FAMILY COLLABORATES ON A MODERNIST HOME IN RHINEBECK By Mary Angeles Armstrong Photos by Deborah DeGraffenreid
12/19 CHRONOGRAM HOME & GARDEN 35
ELLIMAN ON THE MARKET Putnam Valley, NY Modern Retreat Approx. 12 acres | Mountain Vistas $895,000 Web# 4936055
Margaret Harrington M: 914.572.7395
Putnam Valley, NY Storybook Setting Approx. 1 acre | Carriage House $849,000 Web# 4939789 Melissa Frank Lutz M: 646.765.8691 Fishkill, NY White Birch Estates New Construction Homes $399,000 Web# 4856739 Owen Berkowitz M: 914.819.7622
elliman.com 101 KING STREET, CHAPPAQUA, NY 10514 | 914.238.3988 © 2019 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED HEREIN IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. WHILE, THIS INFORMATION IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT, IT IS REPRESENTED SUBJECT TO ERRORS, OMISSIONS, CHANGES OR WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT NOTICE. ALL PROPERTY INFORMATION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SQUARE FOOTAGE, ROOM COUNT, NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PROPERTY LISTINGS SHOULD BE VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN ATTORNEY, ARCHITECT OR ZONING EXPERT. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.
36 HOME & GARDEN CHRONOGRAM 12/19
W
hen Erik Schmidt and Sequoia Neiro started dating, she taught him a short cut. The two were regularly meeting in Red Hook to take the Metta Center’s Kundalini yoga classes together and, since Neiro had once lived on the nearby Rokeby estate, she knew all the backroads. Schmidt was coming over from Kerhonkson, where he had built a straw-bale house and run a sheep farm and cheesemaking business with his late wife. To save travel time, Neiro suggested Schmidt cut along the road bordering the Rokeby estate. That’s how Schmidt happened to drive by the "For Sale" sign propped in front of a wild, open field sloping gently to a large pond. “Maybe because I’d spent all that time farming, I’ve developed a good eye for land,” says Schmidt. “I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a really nice piece of property.’” Bordered by thick DEC-protected woods and 180 acres of the Highland Swamp, the undulating land and manmade pond were brimming with life. Previous owners had stocked the water with bright koi and it had been fully adopted by the local fauna including snapping turtles, birds, and even a muskrat. Schmidt and Neiro had already been contemplating the best way to combine their households. With two children apiece, all of differing ages and stages of schooling, various animal companions—including a horse named Chestnut—as well as Neiro’s home-based massage practice, there were multiple factors to consider. Schmidt knew country life made his children happiest and Neiro didn’t want to disrupt her sons’ well-established lives in Rhinebeck. Also, the couple wanted a home where they could eventually age in place. “This would be, like, my 25th move,” explains Schmidt. “I was done.” What they needed was a place where everyone could slowly, according to their distinctive needs, grow together. They needed versatility—a place that balanced their respective pasts with a chance to start afresh. Online searches for homes were futile. “Everything was either really uninspiring or would have taken too much work to renovate,” says Schmidt. Neiro agrees: “We couldn’t picture ourselves living in any of the places we found.” Schmidt, who had already built two previous homes, had been contemplating building a third. The discovery of the open space on Rokeby road inspired him to seriously consider the possibility. Neiro, who admits she “thinks, thinks, and thinks” over details, was a bit daunted by the prospect. “I had renovated my hundred-year-old house in the village [of Rhinebeck],” she says. “I knew how much work it would take.” They met with an acquaintance who had a well-established commercial architecture practice to entertain the prospect. “He sketched out this house which was cool, but would have cost about two and a half million more dollars than we had,” remembers Schmidt. However, the architect did offer some sage advice. “Build what you really want,” he said. “Think about how you want to feel. Think about what you really need and build to that: You’ll figure it out,” So they took the directive and ran with it.
caption tk
Schmidt’s daughter descending the stairs. Her 12’-by-12’ foot room upstairs has a distinctive feature: She can climb out the window under the home’s overhang to enjoy her own private outdoor reading nook. The stairs are decorated with local artwork, including paper-cut silhouettes by Jenny Lee Fowler of Port Ewen and a pencil drawn portrait of Robert Plant by Raphiel O’Connor of Rhinebeck.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM HOME & GARDEN 37
Schmidt, Neiro, and their children at the fire pit and ad-hoc outdoor seating area they created in a grove of trees. “One of the wonderful things about having Sequoia as a partner is that I’ve never had to not have my past,” says Schmidt. “I’ve always had the space to mourn, to acknowledge it, and then to move on. This house has been a chance to create something new and wonderful without having to pretend that 19 years of my life before didn’t exist. This is a really wonderful present and future.”
38 HOME & GARDEN CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Modernist Family They bought the land in February of 2017 and spent the next nine months considering exactly what they wanted, down to the finest detail. “This house was completely designed for the people who are living here and utilizing it,” explains Schmidt. They began by sketching their ideas, brainstorming off one another and then sharing the sketches with contractor and designer friends. Slowly, they refined their drafts into a doable plan that fit their vision and worked within their budget. “We made a lot of really positive compromises,” says Neiro. When they finally came up with what they thought was a promising model, they worked with a friend’s 3D CAD program to virtually “walk through” their design and get a feel for the interior flow. The tool proved invaluable. “It allowed us to see things in a different way,” explains Neiro. Utilizing the tool to walk through multiple layouts, they honed the home’s blueprint even further. Another designer friend lent software to virtually try out exterior colors and textures against the landscape, finalizing the design.
Neiro and Schmidt settled on a modernist style home with a flat roof, loosely based on a passive house designed by Marken Design + Consulting that was built in Kelowna, British Columbia. “Modernist architecture was something we both had a passion for but neither of us had done before,” says Schmidt. “We wanted something clean, but not cold, that would interplay with the natural surroundings.” They broke ground on the 2,350-square-foot home in November of 2017 and began the home’s framing in February, orienting toward the east so that every room had a view of the pond. “Whenever you see water you feel like you’re on vacation,” explains Neiro. With the home’s exterior design, the couple were mindful to avoid creating “a wart on the land,” she explains. Rather, they wanted something that integrated with the landscape they were inspired by. To complement the changing colors of the surrounding trees, they clad the modernist structure in a slate blue stucco with copper and natural wood trim. They were finished by August of 2018.
VALENTINA
Custom Frame & Gallery 7 Taylor Street, New Paltz NY | 845.419.2647
3,000 Frame samples | Acid-Free Conservation Matboard 99% UV Filtering Glass | Stretcher bars | Diverse & Unique Photo Frames Art Repair & Retouching | Frame Repair & Appraisal BY APPOINTMENT
Valentina Veranes valentinacustomframe@gmail.com
WWW.VALENTINACUSTOMFRAME.COM
KITCHEN | BATH | CLOSETS | TILE 747 NY-28 KINGSTON, NY 12401 (845) 331-2200 | hello@CabinetDesigners.com
@CabinetDesigners
www.CabinetDesigners.com
SIMPLE/SECURE/DRY
ABOUT US
J. McManus & Son, Inc. has been providing home improvement services in the Hudson Valley for over 50 years.
OUR SERVICES
Metal Rooong • Gutters • Skylights Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication and more...
8457955159 | 9147553991 info@jmcmanusandson.com 161 Willow Tree Road, Milton, NY 12547
jmcmanusandson.com 12/19 CHRONOGRAM HOME & GARDEN 39
The kitchen, under two west-facing windows. The couple designed the home to have smaller windows along the west side of the house to protect from the warmer afternoon sunlight and keep the home cooler.
The home’s living room faces east over the pond. Lady Marmalade by local artist Nadine Robbins hangs along the eastern wall; the painted skull on display at top of the bookshelf was painted by Schmidt’s mother. The hanging lamps are from Nectar, formerly in Rhinebeck.
40 HOME & GARDEN CHRONOGRAM 12/19
An Amazing Storefront...
• Popular Center Village at 4 Corners • Surrounded by Restaurants & Other Retail stores • For $1,300 per month, start a new business or relocate in the new year! • Available January 1, 2020 This amazing space could be yours #BarightRealty #RedHookRealty
(845) 224-5936
Our clients’ visions become reality through thoughtful planning and skilled craftsmanship with a professional experience. www.IngrainedBuilding.com
40 Marabac Road P.O. Box 339 Gardiner, NY 12525 www.ridgelinerealty.net
Jaynie Marie Aristeo
NYS Lic. Real Estate Broker/Owner 845 255-8359 Ridgelinerealty@gmail.com
“When it comes to customer service, the sky is the limit.”
Cu sto m Wo o d F lo o r i n g, Pa n e l i n g & B e a m s s i n C e 1 9 95 CUSTOM W O O D F L O O R I N G , PA N E L I N G & B E A M S S I N C E 1 9 9 5 mill: Pine Plains
|
s h o W r o o m : B r o o k ly n
|
thehudsonCo.Com
N E W YO R K | CO N N ECT I C U T | T H E H U D S O N CO.CO M
12/19 CHRONOGRAM HOME & GARDEN 41
clothing
•
shoes & accessories
•
jewelry
•
objects
Heart of Stockade District Uptown Kingston
Early 1700’s stone and brick Dutch Colonial. 3 bedrooms, state of the art gourmet island kitchen, wide plank original flooring and an English patio garden. Home boasts charm an attention to detail. Also being offered is neighboring 2 story brick Townhouse. Can be 1 or 2-bedroom, professional office or rental property. Parking in rear accommodates 6 cars for both properties. Stroll Uptown, Restaurants, Galleries and more. These unique properties are being offered together for - $849,950.
270 FAIR STREET, KINGSTON 12401 HOURS: MON – SAT 11AM-7PM SUN 11AM – 5PM w w w.rivermint finer y.com
Contact Jeanne Rakowski, Associate Broker, Win Morrison. For private viewing 845-554-4998.
AT H O M E I N T H E H U D S O N VA L L E Y
The Quarterly Magazine of Inspired Homes
John A. Alvarez and Sons custom modular homes let us make our house your home
518.851.9917
A HOME for the holidays.
3572 ROUTE 9, HUDSON, NY 12534
A LVA R E Z M O D U L A R S . C O M CRDesign
Use Your Imagination...
• Popular Hardscrabble Plaza next to Holy Cow - 7270 Rte 9 • 2,500 sq. ft. large, roomy space • Hardwood flooring, private bath • Plenty of convenient parking • Could be: Spa, Karate, Retail, Office This amazing space could be yours
View our latest features on upstatehouse.com
#BarightRealty #RedHookRealty
PART OF THE
42 HOME & GARDEN CHRONOGRAM 12/19
FAMILY OF PUBLICATIONS
Slow Blend Their careful collaboration has resulted in an interior space that is drenched in light. “Every single window captures a pretty picture,” explains Schmidt. The open-concept first floor has windows facing all sides, with a sliding glass door leading eastward toward the pond. “It was really important to maximize the feeling of bringing the outside inside,” says Neiro. Along the western edge, the home’s kitchen has two rectangular windows, grey quartz countertops, and simple white Ikea cabinetry Neiro assembled with the help of her parents. A kitchen island separates the space from the living and dining room. Pendant lights gleaned from a trip to Paris hang above. “They were only 15 dollars,” explains Neiro, “and I was able to fit them into my suitcase.” At the home’s north end, the master suite has another sliding glass door leading outside. A wall of custom cabinetry two feet deep features interior lighting and maximizes storage while minimizing clutter. In the master bathroom, “I wanted it to feel like you were swimming in the Mediterranean,” explains Neiro. She hunted down turquoise tiles for the shower and the couple installed a freestanding tub in a corner of windows that open, giving the feeling of bathing outside. “When the sun is setting, we get rainbows from the edges of the glass,” she says. Throughout the living and dining room, and up the staircase to the second floor, the walls are decorated with an eclectic collection of local and global artworks, as well as a few pieces by Neiro’s son. Because Schmidt has an aversion to Volos—that is the lip that juts from the edge of stairs—the couple commissioned a custom-made Z-shaped staircase and installed small windows to add light to the stairwell. “We wanted the light for the living room, but also as people are walking up the stairs, they can see the view,” says Neiro. “The bonus is that the pets sit there and stare out the windows— they really love it.” Upstairs, the couple focused on successfully bringing together two groups of teenagers, balancing their need for privacy with camaraderie. “Everyone got 12-by-12 feet, no one has any more square footage than anyone else,” says Neiro. At one end of the floor, Schmidt’s son and daughter have private rooms and share an interior bathroom. While Neiro has elected to remain in her home in the village of Rhinebeck until her sons have finished college, she still wanted them to have a space in the place that will eventually become the entire family’s seat. The boys chose to combine each of their allotted 12-by-12 feet into one 12-by24-foot upstairs den to enjoy when they visit. Eventually the couple will transform the room into a home gym. In the center of the second floor, a large communal space is the center for movies, games, and other shared activities. A balcony overlooks the pond. “I wanted was a zip line from the balcony across the pond,” jokes Schmidt. “But on that I got overruled.”
The first-floor master bathroom looks out over the fields and paddock. Outside, Schmidt’s daughter enjoys some time with Chestnut. One of the home’s requirements was space for the horse, who was brought over from Kerhonkson and has remained in the family. The property came with a barn, which Schmidt has been slowly renovating.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM HOME & GARDEN 43
health & wellness
RECLAIMING FERTILITY WHILE YEARNING FOR A BABY, WOMEN CAN DISCOVER HOW MUCH POWER THEY REALLY HAVE. By Wendy Kagan
A
nna Martin was 37 and desperate— she wanted a second baby more than anything she’d ever wanted in her life. She knew this primal feeling well, because she’d felt it during the arduous journey toward conceiving her first child, a baby boy. Prior to his arrival, she and her husband suffered through an early miscarriage and a devastating loss at 22 weeks when their baby died in utero of a genetic defect. Then and now, the doctors used phrases that no baby-craving woman wants to hear: low egg count, poor egg quality. She tried a round of in vitro fertilization that didn’t stick but took a heavy toll on her body. After working fruitlessly with three fertility specialists, and 44 HEALTH & WELLNESS CHRONOGRAM 12/19
after three more natural conceptions ended in miscarriage, Martin (not her real name) flew from her home in Chicago to what she heard was the top fertility clinic in the country, the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine. There, she embarked on a one-day blitz of expensive testing—only to receive a damning diagnosis. Her levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), which can indicate the number of follicles inside the ovaries, was too low, and her follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) was too high. Unless she’d consider egg donation, they refused to take her as a patient. “It’s easy to get caught up in the science and what the doctors say because they’re so authoritative,” says Martin. “But I
knew I could have another baby and it would be healthy. I just knew it.” Feeling gutted, she flew home and Googled “high FSH successful pregnancy” that night. That’s when she found Julia Indichova, the Woodstock-based creator of Fertile Heart Ovum Practice and author of two books, Inconceivable (1998) and The Fertile Female (2007), about birthing babies against the odds. Indichova had successfully carried her second daughter to term at 44, after doctors had given her a diagnosis of high FSH and “irreversible secondary infertility”—and she was making it her mission to help others who longed for a child. Martin read both books and dialed in to a free Fertile Heart
teleconference, where Indichova advised aspiring parents to become their own fertility authority through a journey of self-discovery and an array of mind-body tools. “I thought, this seems out there for me. I’m a banker, I’m very logical-minded,” says Martin. “But I’m also open-minded and I had nothing to lose.” She decided to go all in, and three months later, shortly after flying out to attend Indichova’s in-person workshop in Woodstock, she discovered that she was pregnant. Nine months later she gave birth to a baby boy, as perfect as her first, who felt like a second miracle. The Blurred Line Between Birth and Business Indichova has been working with couples on their fertility journeys for two decades (we featured her back in 2007), and she’s seen many women with diagnoses as bleak as Martin’s go on to have healthy babies the old-fashioned way. Yet in recent years, she’s seen a shift happening in the world of baby-making, as medical intervention to help women achieve pregnancy has become increasingly more prevalent. Ever since the world marveled at the birth of the first “testtube baby” in 1978, IVF has made dreams come true for the parents of some 8 million babies. Nowadays, couples often choose to have babies later, and many women freeze their eggs and delay parenthood as they build a career. Baby-making has become big business—revenue for fertility clinics is increasing at a rate of over four percent a year and is expected to reach $4.5 billion in the US by 2022. Is this trend toward medicalized conception troubling? Indichova says yes, because women are turning to it earlier, often when it’s not medically necessary. “What I see is that more and more women are told earlier in the process that the quickest and most effective way for them to get pregnant is IVF,” she says. “In this area of healthcare, we trust machines and have learned not to trust our bodies. And because [infertility] is such an emotionally charged challenge, with so much shame connected to it, we women are so quick to see ourselves and our bodies as broken. I am absolutely in favor of testing and medical technology when it’s needed. But when I see that 30 women who register for my events have had 114 failed treatments, then something about how we use medical technology needs to be questioned.” It may not help that, in 2009, the World Health Organization defined infertility as a disease. In 2017, the American Medical Association followed suit, adopting a resolution supporting this designation. By putting infertility into the disease bucket, WHO and AMA had the well-intentioned motive of giving assisted reproductive technology (ART) a billing code for
health-insurance coverage, making fertility treatment more affordable to parents who cannot conceive naturally. Yet there may be an emotional cost to the designation that no insurance plan can cover. “The official definition is that if you’ve been trying to conceive for a year without success, you are infertile,” explains Indichova. “For women over 35, you’re considered infertile after just six months. Not only is this catch-all definition ridiculous, but it creates this accelerated panic—what I call the panic of the last good egg.” Indichova knows that panic, as she sees it in the faces of the women and couples who come to her workshops from around the world. The women have been given diagnoses that reduce them to a specific part or malfunction of the body—premature ovarian failure, hostile cervical mucus, poor responder. The cultural cues around them have turned their biological clock into a ticking time bomb. Indichova makes it her business to dispel the fear-inducing mindset and stress, which is anything but conception-friendly. “My take on this is the opposite,” she says. “When the child is not showing up when summoned, it’s not because our bodies are broken. Our bodies are protecting us, and the baby. Just because the body says ‘no’ doesn’t mean it says ‘never.’ It says, ‘Help me out here.’ The inability to become pregnant is not a disease—it’s a symptom, with a wide range of underlying causes. Some are physical, and there’s a small percentage of patients who are struggling with structural challenges like blocked tubes or endometriosis. But many of them are emotional and spiritual challenges that call for a much more expansive view.” A Healing Route to Your Most Fertile Self In the Fertile Heart method, the fertility journey is about achieving wholeness rather than breaking the body down into little parts. Indichova sees it as a particular opportunity for healing—a revelatory process that’s cause for celebration rather than dread. “I use words, ideas, very specific mind-body tools,” she says. “I use particular images, and I use movement because our bodies don’t know how to lie.” For some women, the imagery work can be very powerful and lead to breakthroughs—which is exactly what it did for Martin. Indichova had invited her to envision a group of people in her life who were supportive, and Martin imagined herself surrounded by relatives, including a grandmother who’d given birth seven times but also suffered six losses, one of them a devastating still birth. “In the visualization, my grandmother spoke to me and said, ‘You don’t have to have the same pain that I had, you can let that go. You don’t need to match me in my number of losses,’” recalls Martin. “At that point I’d had five losses, so it was really profound. I didn’t even know that was
“In this area of healthcare, we trust machines and have learned not to trust our bodies. And because [infertility] is such an emotionally charged challenge, with so much shame connected to it, we women are so quick to see ourselves and our bodies as broken.” —Julia Indichova
there—it was buried in my subconscious. I felt it and let it go, and it was shortly afterwards that I got pregnant.” Andrea Colman, a certified nurse midwife from Saugerties, also had a cathartic experience with Fertile Heart work. When she got married at 39, she and her husband had already been trying to get pregnant for a year and suffered three miscarriages. At the time, she was working for an OBGYN practice, and a doctor there who knew of her struggles convinced her to try Clomid, which is widely used to help stimulate ovulation. “It was awful and I hated it,” she said of the drug, which caused such painful cramping that she could barely stand up. Meanwhile, she and her husband had fertility testing and everything came back 12/19 CHRONOGRAM HEALTH & WELLNESS 45
ALLOW HEALING TO START NOW ACUPUNCTURE MASSAGE THERAPY ENERGY WORK SOUL WORK FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE HEART-CENTERED KETAMINE THERAPY
Book Now or Schedule a Free Consult (845) 393 - 4325 woodstockhealingarts.com Accepting for Acupuncture: BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, UHC & VA
COMMUNITY inclusive, warm, questioning
WORSHIP
welcoming, embracing, inspiring
SERVICE food justice, human rights, care of earth
re d e e m e rn e w p a l t z . o rg
Take Back Your Health with Acupuncture, Detox, Nutrition, & Herbal Medicine Specializing in Lyme, EBV, chronic fatigue, Fibromyalgia, pain/injury, auto immune, digestive disorders, migraines, neurological disorders, & skin issues
Erika S. Gabriello
L.Ac. MSTOM
www.holisticnaturalmedicine.com 3 47. 9 8 8 .017 8
New Paltz 169 Main St.
New York City
928 Broadway, Suite 401
REUNITE!
SHOW YOUR FAMILY THE MAGIC OF THE CATSKILLS!
FROST VALLEY YMCA JOIN US SEPTEMBER TO JUNE AT TWO GREAT LOCATIONS! Who says camp is just for the kids? For generations, countless families return to Frost Valley for their annual reunions. TEL 845-985-2291 EMAIL info@frostvalley.org WEB frostvalley.org
www.ymcaulster.org
507 Broadway, Kingston
כל חיKol
Hai
Musical Meditative Multigenerational Shabbat
Before & After School Programs for Grades K - 5th 8 Ulster County School Locations
Register at www.ymcaulster.org or 845-338-3810 x112
46 HEALTH & WELLNESS CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Every 1st & 3rd Friday (6:30pm) and Saturday (10am) 100 Woodland Pond Circle, New Paltz, NY 12561 Hudson Valley Jewish Renewal · All are welcome KolHai.org · (845) 477–5457 · hello@kolhai.org
to normal. Colman (not her real name) was a typical case of what the medical world calls “unexplained infertility”—another problematic diagnosis that tries to create science out of the mystery of life. Frustrated, she discovered the work of Indichova, who lived close by. It was during a “body truth” exercise at a Fertile Heart workshop that she had a breakthrough. In the exercise, women are encouraged to uncover memories that are stored in their bodies. For Colman, what came up was a traumatic and painful abortion that she’d suffered through in her late teens. “I had this experience where I relived the abortion,” she says. “I was crying and it was very weird—I don’t normally have experiences like that. I physically relived it, and I released it.” Not long after, she discovered that she was pregnant again. Around the six-week mark, she realized that she’d always miscarried at that time, which was exactly when she’d had the abortion. This time she worked through it using specific imagery. She went on to carry the baby to term, giving birth to a healthy boy. Empowered to Get to a Better Place Not everyone who comes to the Fertile Heart workshops has an a-ha! moment that leads to natural conception and successful pregnancy. Every woman, every couple, has their own story, and Indichova welcomes that. “I celebrate the arrival of all babies, whether they’re conceived naturally or through IVF, egg donation, adoption, or any other means,” she says. “And I trust that there are many compassionate, well-meaning doctors out there who want the best for their patients. But we have to be careful, because when we pathologize this life challenge with a catch-all diagnosis, that can hurt a lot of people.”
“You don’t want your patient feeling like a number, which nowadays in healthcare, a lot
Since
1978
Give the Gift of
GOOD HEALTH this Holiday Season
motherearthstorehouse.com
2017
There’s no better way to say how much you care with a Mother Earth’s Storehouse GIFT CARD !
300 KINGS MALL CT KINGSTON 336-5541
1955 SOUTH RD POUGHKEEPSIE 296-1069
249 MAIN ST SAUGERTIES 246-9614
of patients feel that way.” —Courtney Stellwag, PA-C One such well-meaning provider is Courtney Stellwag, PA-C, at Hudson Valley Fertility, with offices in Fishkill and Somers. She thinks that a small-clinic setting can help strengthen the doctor-patient bond and humanize what can be a very technical experience. “You don’t want your patient feeling like a number, which nowadays in healthcare, a lot of patients feel that way,” she says. “This is not an easy thing they’re going through, it’s not a fair hand they were dealt. It’s about connecting with your patient and treating them with compassion.” Stellwag welcomes a new mandate in New York State, effective January 1, 2020, which requires largegroup health insurance providers (for employees at companies with 100 or more full-time staff ) to cover up to three IVF cycles for those who need it. “That is going to be taking a huge burden and stress off couples who are faced with having to spend tens of thousands of dollars on treatment.” During her own journey, Martin saw one friend slide into debt to afford several rounds IVF which ultimately didn’t work. She and her husband are grateful to be debt-free. Even more of a gift, she was able to find freedom from the frenzy and obsessiveness that can grip so many women caught in the fertility struggle. “For years, I was in my head, so stressed out and overthinking everything,” she says. “‘Am I ovulating? My husband’s traveling for work—I gotta go to the city he’s in and make this happen.’ Just craziness. [The Fertile Heart work] gets you to a better place mentally. There’s a relaxation that comes over you and a surrendering to how things are going to unfold. It was so much more helpful than just getting pregnant and having a healthy baby. The whole process was really transformative.” 12/19 CHRONOGRAM HEALTH & WELLNESS 47
ADAM REID- NY STATE LICENSED MASSAGE THERAPIST
THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE WITH BINAURAL SOUND THERAPY
NEW CLIENTS:
Receive a free 1/2 hour upgrade with 1 hour massage
845-250-ADAM
234 Main Street, New Paltz “The L Salon� in Walgreens Plaza
TheMasterpieceMassage.com * LIMITED
TIME
Drs. Maureen and Jeffrey Viglielmo Biological Dentistry
The beautiful smile we create with you is the gateway to a healthy body As biological dentists we provide safe mercury removal, biocompatible restorations and customized periodontal therapy.
Laser Hair Removal Package, 6 visits, $299*
Target those love handles
(lip, chin, underarm, bikini)
Customized Full Body Hair Removal Package, $1,600* (face not included)
56 Lucas Avenue, Kingston (845) 339-1619 • drvigs.com
DR. ARI ROSEN, D.O.
Specializing in Traditional and Cranial Osteopathic Treatment of Adults: Concussion, Headache, Migraine, Dental Trauma, Neck and Back Pain
3 ST. STEPHENS PL ACE , WARWICK , NY 845-508- 6605
|
ALORALASERSPA . COM
CALL TODAY
Children: Ear Infections, Birth Trauma, Difficulty Nursing, Colic, Concussion, and Sports Injury
845.687.7589 Stone Ridge, NY StoneRidgeHealingArts.com
Over 20 years of experience
 Â? Â? Â?  Â? Â?  Â € ‚ ƒƒ ÂŽ Â? Â? „ Â? Â…
ANDROGYNY renowned and unique. fashion forward. eminent. smart. european design. private sessions. consultations. home of the carving tools and System 4 HaiR ÂŽ
sylvia zuniga designer
New Paltz 845.256.0620 www.androgynynewpaltz.com Google f l
48 HEALTH & WELLNESS CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Celebrating the best of rural life in Berkshire, Columbia, northern Dutchess and northern Litchfield counties
ruralintelligence.com NOW PART OF THE
FAMILY
Sponsored
MATERNITY CARE 2.0
Two Hospitals Team Up to Deliver Better Access for the Region
T
hree years ago, the obstetrics department at Columbia Memorial Health (CMH) had an emerging problem to solve: How could they continue to offer robust maternity care in an area experiencing a rapidly decreasing birthrate? “A decade ago, we were seeing more than 500 births a year,” says Tish Finnegan, Columbia Memorial Health’s vice president of care center administration. “But because our communities are aging, we’re currently at about 300 births a year—a number that is continuing to decline.” Recognizing that they had to adapt in order to continue offering all of the services their maternity patients needed, Columbia Memorial Health entered into a partnership with Albany Med, located about 30 miles away from their own facilities in Hudson. With this partnership, patients in Columbia and Greene counties can continue to receive the majority of their pre- and post-natal care with their local doctors at Columbia Memorial Health while having access to the state-of-the-art delivery services at Albany Med. “Many of us have experienced how difficult it can be to schedule appointments far away—
ones that might take a whole afternoon to get to,” says Dr. Clifford Belden, CMH’s Chief Medical Officer. “That’s why we’re committed to offering as many services here as we can. Our patients are grateful that they can continue to see someone in their own community.” This partnership also provides CMH patients with increased access to care from specialists at Albany Med. “We have a maternal fetal medicine physician specifically trained to work with women with higher risk pregnancies who comes down to see patients every week,” Dr. Belden explains. “Having [that resource] locally is important because it helps us make sure our patients are getting the appropriate care they need.” To ensure continuity of care and informed decision-making, CMH employs a maternity program specialist, who works closely with both medical teams to make sure all involved healthcare providers have up-todate information on each patient’s care. She also acts as a key point of contact for the expecting parents themselves, answering questions, offering resources, and helping schedule tours of Albany Med’s childbirth
facilities in the months leading up to each due date. “Our current maternity program specialist, Cathy Sohotra, has more than 35 years of OB/ GYN nursing experience,” Finnegan says. “She was on CMH’s delivery floor for years. People in our community know and trust her,” Dr. Belden adds. In addition to traditional medical maternity services, CMH patients also benefit from Albany Med’s educational offerings, which include prepared childbirth classes and support groups for a wide range of topics, such as cesarean birth, breastfeeding, infant care, and becoming a sibling. Overall, Columbia Memorial Health’s partnership with Albany Med has bolstered their offerings to maternity patients and new mothers. “Anytime you have a change, people can be skeptical,” Dr. Belden says. “But we’ve been overwhelmingly surprised at how positive the feedback on this partnership has been. Our patients have been impressed with the professionalism and dedication of the staff at Albany Med. This is the right partner for us, and it’s the right partner for our patients.” 12/19 CHRONOGRAM HEALTH & WELLNESS 49
outdoors
GEAR
UP
A GIFT GUIDE FOR
OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS By Phillip Pantuso
Tis the season to show your loved ones you care for them by spending a sensible amount of money on a purposeful gift that demonstrates your thoughtfulness, your perceptiveness, and your discerning taste. Whether you’re buying for a brand-new in-law, a longtime partner, or an ever-changing child, gifting is hard. (You can’t wrap TikTok in a box, after all.) But here in the Hudson Valley, we all have at least one thing in common: proximity to the great outdoors. That’s why, this holiday season, we turned to six Hudson Valley outdoors shops for gift ideas suitable to a range of ages and experience levels. It might be cold outside, but this guide is season-agnostic—though you’ll certainly find items you can put to immediate use.
POTTER BROTHERS
MOUNTAIN TOPS OUTFITTERS
Peapack Mittens
Hydro Flask Insulated Bottle
Soft, warm mittens made from recycled wool sweaters, handcrafted by a small company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. All of the mittens have one-of-a-kind designs, are lined in high-grade polar fleece, and are machine washable. Sounds like a perfect gift for a chilly winter. $49.95
This 21-oz to-go bottle has a slim profile so you can stash it in your bag, and is made of durable stainless steel in eight different color options. It’s also vacuuminsulated so your cold drinks stay cold and your hot drinks stay hot. Perfect for that person who wants to do away with disposable plastic bottles. $32.95
Flylow Ridge Gloves
Patagonia Black Hole Mini Hip Pack
These gloves are made from pigskin leather that’s been coated with waterproofing Sno-Seal and triple-baked for added durability. “They’re built for everything winter throws at you: skiing, shoveling, or working outdoors,” says Kyle Potter. $45
Fanny packs may have been late to the `80s fashion revival, but they’re definitely back now. This ultralight option from Patagonia has a flexible webbing belt so you can carry the pack around your hips or off the shoulder, bandolier style. It’s made from 100 percent recycled nylon and lined with 100 percent waterproof recycled polyester. “What was once deemed unfashionable was never impractical,” Bell says. “This is good for practical people who want a place for their phone, keys, money (this includes the guys) while keeping their hands free.” $28.95
57 City View Terrace, Kingston
TRT BICYCLES
1066 Route 32, Rosendale Bontrager Flare RT Rechargeable Tail Light
Visibility while riding is important, and this light is designed to be seen from two kilometers during the day. It also has different flashing modes that make you stand out. Good for riders at any level. $59.99 Bontrager Specter WaveCel Helmet
According to TRT proprietor Christian Favata, Bontrager changed the helmet game with the introduction of wavecell technology—a collapsible cellular structure lining the inside of the helmet that reduces the risk of concussion or traumatic brain injury by 99 percent over traditional helmets. Plus, “it’s a good idea to replace your helmet every few years,” Favata adds. “This is a must-have for any cyclist looking to keep themselves brain-injury free”—which we hope is all of you cyclists out there. $149.99 Trek Checkpoint ALR 5
Favata says this is the best-value gravel bike on the market, and a great way to experience the trails, bike paths, and unpaved roads crisscrossing the Hudson Valley. “What sets this model apart are the performance parts and features like massive tire clearance, Shimano 105 components, and extra mounts that make it easy to customize for any kind of adventure.” $2,099.99 50 OUTDOORS CHRONOGRAM 12/19
144 Main Street, Beacon
Blundstone Classic Chelsea Boots
The do-it-all boot for every season. “You don’t have to be a hiker to love these boots; they work just as well with dress pants,” says Katy Bell, store co-owner. Mountain Tops has a few other Blundstone options, too. $184.95 and up
The Hudson Valley Starts Here. Rockland County is your gateway to the wonders of the Hudson Valley. Magnificent views, soulful hikes, charming hospitality, award-winning cuisine, unique entertainment, and rich history – Rockland’s “Tourism Triangle” offers the best of the Hudson Valley while celebrating the vibrance and diversity of New York State.
explorerocklandny.com
12/19 CHRONOGRAM OUTDOORS 51
DO YOU EVER WONDER... which skills your child will need to be a successful human being in the 21st century?
THE COUNTRY INN
Nestled in the Heart of the Catskills, An Iconic Hudson Valley destination
YULET IDE FA IR SAT DE C 7 | 10 -4
330 COUNTY ROUTE 21C, GHENT, NY 12075 HAWTHORNEVALLEYSCHOOL.ORG | 518.672.7092 X 111 CALL FOR A TOUR | ASK US ABOUT TUITION ASSISTANCE
52 OUTDOORS CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Farmhouse Chic B&B
Simple Food - Crafted with Love Neapolitan Pizza & Pub Food Many beers on tap & bottle local and beyond 1380 County Rd 2, Olivebridge, NY - Restaurant: 845-657-8956 | Inn: 845-303-4752
instagram: thecountryinnkrumville | krumville.com
ESOPUS CREEL FLY FISHING 5579 Route 28, Phoenicia Guided Fly Fishing trip
Here’s one that will have you looking forward to warmer weather: fly fishing the fabled waters of Esopus Creek with a licensed guide from Esopus Creel. Whether you’re a first-timer or an experienced angler, you can reserve a half-day or full-day trip for $50, with the remaining balance due on the day of the trip. The heart of the spring season is May 15 to June 30, says owner Todd Spire. Cast away. Prices vary
ROCK AND SNOW 44 Main Street, New Paltz Petzl Tikka Headlamp
This compact headlamp weighs only 82 grams (about .18 pounds), but it’s powerful, with 300 lumen brightness and a flood beam for proximity and movement lighting. It’s good for everything from basic hiking to caving. It has red lighting to preserve night vision and prevent members of a group from blinding each other, and a phosphorescent reflector that helps you find it in the dark. It’s versatile, too: with a simple mounting accessory, you can attach it to a helmet or bicycle. $29.95 Darn Tough socks
The one type of sock you’ll be happy to see in your stocking. Hikers sing the praises of these socks, which are anti-microbial and knitted to a fine gauge with a blend of Merino wool, nylon, and Lycra spandex so that they’re breathable and fast-drying. Several varieties starting at $18 per pair A set of local trail maps
The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference maintains more than 2,000 miles of trails in the greater New York area, but they also publish some of the most aesthetically pleasing maps this side of Massimo Vignelli. Printed in vibrant color on waterproof, tear-resistant Tyvek paper, the NYNJTC maps are more functional than your typical collector’s item, too. Many sets available, from $6.95 to $16.95
OLD SOULS
63 Main Street, Cold Spring Filson Field Watch
The perfect timepiece for when telling the hour is the least of your concerns. This watch from the famous Seattle-based outfitter is built to military standards, and makes for a perfect tool for the trail. It’s waterresistant up to 100 meters with a stainless steel case, screw-down crown, and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal display, and the quartz movement mechanism is noted for its longevity. But you don’t have to go on a through-hike to wear it: the streamlined 36 mm case offers a smaller, more aesthetically versatile profile than a typical field watch. $350 Hults Bruk Salen Hatchet
Hults Bruk is a Swedish company that dates to 1697, and this is one of their signature items: a hand-forged, all-purpose hatchet that’s good for, well, the things hatchets are good for: making kindling, clearing a garden, displaying on your wall. The Salen has a 20-inch handle and comes with a leather protective sheath embellished with Swedish decorative elements. $104
Old Souls Rod & Gun Cap
An Old Souls original, this snapback cap is made of cotton with a bit of polyester to aid in wicking and provide extra warmth on colder days. It has a signature woven patch with a merrowed edge, and comes in multiple colors. $32
12/19 CHRONOGRAM OUTDOORS 53
community pages
A Village Awakens Catskill
Story and photos by Niva Dorell
54 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 12/19
P
icture an old school restaurant with brick walls and dark wood paneling, a beloved bartender serving stiff drinks and caustic wit to a dozen or so bar patrons, including artists, business owners, elected officials (of both parties), millennials, baby boomers, union workers, unemployed folks, and at least one millionaire. Laughter fills the air. No, this isn’t the set of “Cheers.” This is the bar at the Italian eatery La Conca D’oro, one of several mom-andpop establishments in the small, self-described “ever improving,” village of Catskill. Located where the Hudson River and the Catskill Creek meet, halfway between Kingston and Albany, Catskill has historically been a transportation and trading hub, a thoroughfare, a sanctuary for artists and creative minds, and a tourist destination. It’s experienced its share of economic booms and busts, beginning with a boom in 1800, and suffered its first big downturn after the Erie Canal was completed in 1825. In the 1850s, Catskill rebounded as a gateway to the mountains and the big Catskill resorts of the era. The success of Catskill was the byproduct of an economy in the late 19th century that embraced both tourism and local industry, and that industry survived more or less right up to the Depression. The town’s economic fortunes rose again World War II, and descended in the 1980s and `90s “crack era,” from which it has slowly been recovering ever since.
A Formative Moment Catskill has steadily and organically morphed into a vibrant, quirky town where creative people can afford to live and work. In the past year alone, it’s welcomed at least a dozen new businesses, and dozens more new residents, mostly makers and gig economy workers. This gradual but steady influx has infused the village with new energies, as well as new tensions. Jonathan Palmer, archivist at the Vedder Research Library and Deputy Greene County Historian at the Greene County Historical Society, likens today’s Catskill to that of the 1830s. “Before the Erie Canal opened, Catskill was a gateway, a boomtown,” says Palmer, who was born and raised in nearby Athens. “After it opened, the village tried to reconcile lost business, and everyone had separate visions for what Catskill should become—there were the industrialists who wanted to bring manufacturing jobs and industry, and the artists who saw Catskill as a pastoral haven. Catskill was at a formative moment in the 1830s. What we’re in right now is a formative moment.” Maureen Sager, the executive director of the Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy (ACE), a nonprofit that works to develop, promote, and implement programs that benefit the creative economy in the Capital Region, recalls first encountering Catskill in 2017, when ACE held its first networking event at HiLo,
Opposite: George Salter, co-owner of the Juice Branch makes their signature juices for customers. Above: Catskill Merchant Coalition members meet at Crossroads Brewery and Taproom on Water Street. (Left to right: Chrisie Cordrey of Corduroy Shop, Rodney Greenblat of The Rodney Shop, Kristi Gibson of Magpie Bookshop, Jill Lamanec of the Frisbee Agency, Michael Moy of Joe’s Garage, and Rob Sager of Crossroads behind the bar.)
several weeks before the popular cafe/bar/gallery opened. Her impression was that Catskill was similar to Brooklyn in 1986, “a sleepy town with affordable studio and retail space where artists were living and working.” Since then, Sager has held 35 ACE mixers all over the Capital Region and witnessed a lot of change in the area. She attributes the rolling migration of artists and makers from larger metropolitan areas to Catskill specifically to more than simply lower real estate prices, lower stress, and higher quality of life. It’s also about the distinctive character of the town, which includes a balance of local flavor, arts, community, lush natural beauty and resources, and an emergence of industrial trades, crafts, and home goods. Just in the past year, Catskill’s three main thoroughfares—Main, West Bridge, and Water streets—have seen at least a dozen new stores open, both by newcomers and people who grew up in the area. These include on Main Street: Solo Vino, an organic wine shop; Bittersweet, an ice cream parlor that serves Jane’s ice cream with homemade toppings plus vegan, gluten-free, and keto options; Circle W, the second outpost of the popular Palenville sandwich shop; Sister Salvage, a consignment and antique store that used to be located in Coxsackie; Village Common, which sells 100-percent plant-based products made on-site
and infused with pure essential oils; Spike’s Record Rack; and Subversive Beer Cafe, which serves its own beer, brewed exclusively with ingredients sourced in New York. On West Bridge Street, there is the Juice Branch, which serves juices, smoothies, and soups; Winkles Bakery; From Nature to You, a CBD shop; two vintage shops: Acquired Tastes, and Upstate Gypsy; and Subversive’s brewery, relocated from Livingston. Water Street has Lumberyard Center for Film and Performing Arts, a nonprofit performing arts center and events venue, which significantly increased its audience sizes this past summer during its second season and saw more film production rentals in its off-season, including the David Simon/HBO miniseries “The Plot Against America,” and actress Tonya Pinkins’s directorial debut feature film, Red Pill. Also new on Water street is Radici, an Italian bistro, and Crossroads Brewery and Taproom, which hosts live music and food trucks creekside in the former Daily Mail printing facility. More Music! Perhaps the biggest buzz in Catskill this year was the opening of the Avalon Lounge by Laura and Liam Singer (who also manage HiLo), and the purchase of four Main Street properties by Ben Fain, a real estate developer and artist. The Avalon Lounge is an outgrowth of the music 12/19 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY PAGES 55
Catskill COME TO
cometocatskill.com
Main Street
Magpie Bookshop
EAT/DRINK 394 Main Mediterranean Bistro 394mainstreet.com Bittersweet Catskill bittersweetcatskill.com Catskill Country Store thecatskillcountrystore.com Catskill Liquors catskillliquors.com Creekside Restaurant creeksidecatskill.com Crossroads Brewing Company crossroadsbrewingco.com HiLo Catskill hilocatskill.com J&J Smokehouse BBQ jjsmokehousebbq.com Kaaterskill Farm Natural Storehouse facebook.com/ kaaterskill.health.food La Casa Latina lacasalatina.food74.com New York Restaurant nyrestaurantcatskill.com Radici Italian Kitchen radici-italian-restaurant.business.site Solo Vino facebook.com/solovinocatskill Subversive Malting + Brewing drinksubversive.com The Mermaid Cafe Village Pizza II villagepizzaofcatskill.com
EXPERIENCE
Bittersweet
The Avalon Lounge
Atelier Progressif atelierprogressif.com The Avalon Lounge theavalonlounge.com Body Be Well Pilates bodybewellpilates.com Bridge Street Theatre bridgest.org Catskill Recreation Center catskillrecreationcenter.org Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty CREATE Council on the Arts greenearts.org
The Community Theatre thecommunitytheatre.com Fahrenheit 451 House fahrenheit451house.com Frisbee Insurance Agency facebook.com/thefrisbeeagency Joe’s Garage joesgaragecatskill.com Lumberyard lumberyard.org Open Studio openstudiocatskill.com Shook Insurance Agency, LLC catskillinsurance.com Social Sara instagram.com/social.sara Teaching Spirit Retreat Centers teachingspirit.com Yoga Path yogapathcatskill.com
SHOP Corduroy Shop corduroyshop.com CounterEv Furniture Factory Outlet counterev.com Factory & Main factoryandmain.com FisheyeBrooklyn fisheyebrooklyn.com Hand-Printed & Sewn Here christinripley.com HR Home Gift Shoppe Kirwan’s Game Store kirwansgamestore.com M Gallery mgallery-online.com Magpie Bookshop magpiebookshop.com The Rodney Shop therodneyshop.com Salem’s Moon salemsmoonny.com Shoofly Childrens Shoes and Accessories (formerly NYC) shooflynyc.com Sister Salvage facebook.com/SisterSalvage-168511693333143 Spike’s Record Rack facebook.com/spikesrecordrack
56 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Solo Vino
Sponsored by the Catskill Merchant Coalition
Marck Trecka performs at the Avalon Lounge on November 14, opening for avant-garde sound artist and percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani.
programming that had snowballed at HiLo, where the Singers had started to book events three to five nights a week. “It was becoming increasingly challenging to use [HiLo] as a performance space,” says Liam Singer. When they heard that the Doubles II nightclub was going up for sale, they reached out to its former owners, Sam Aldi and the late Michael de Benedictus. They closed on the property six months later, spent five months redesigning and deep cleaning, and opened in August with a beer and wine license (they expect to have a full license in early 2020). The Avalon Lounge has music programming almost every night, and serves Korean food made by chef Annie Poole (who was the chef at Doubles II and is a native Korean). Between the music at Avalon Lounge, various live performances at other locations like New York Restaurant, Subversive, and Lumberyard, plus the already established recording studios around town such as Kenny Siegal’s Old Soul Studios, and musician, music producer, and sound engineer Scott Petito’s NRS recording studio, there is also a growing buzz about Catskill’s music scene.
Putting the Cat in Catskill When Ben Fain started checking out the Hudson Valley, he almost immediately found himself drawn to Catskill and was so inspired he bought four buildings on Main Street (totaling 45,000 square feet) within a year. “When you’re in the city you feel like an alien,” says Fain. “But in Catskill, you get the message quickly that every encounter matters. People here are passionate about what they’re doing and interested. I wanted to invest in the village because I felt that attitude daily and wanted to be a part of it.” Three of Fain’s buildings are located at the corner of Bridge and Main Street, two on one side of Bridge, and one, a former bank, on the other, totaling 30,000 square feet. His plan is to convert the two adjacent buildings into a boutique 30-room hotel, Mr. Cat Hotel (Fain was inspired by the artist Milton Glaser’s poster series of the Catskills, commissioned by the New York Bureau of Tourism in the mid-1980s). Mr. Cat will eventually have retail on the first floor, and the former bank building will host the hotel’s bar, restaurant, and event space. 12/19 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY PAGES 57
NEW!
handmade porcelain house & garden wares
Winter Wonderland Vacation Camps
store-front studio December hours: thurs-mon 12-6
January 2 & 3
462 main street catskill, ny 12414 518.947.0684
CHILD CENTERED, NATURE-FOCUSED CHILDCARE & EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN AGES 3-10 Now enrolling preschool and afterschool for January start
www.l-and-m-studio.com
845-943-4649 • www.catskillwheelhouse.org
Winkle
Rip Van
4545 Route 32 Catskill, NY 518 678-9275
Italian American Fare - Award Winning Beers Sunday Brunch - Keg Sales www.ripvanwinklebrewery.com
Margaretville Hospital Auxiliar y Thrift Shop
.
Beattie-Powers Place
Concerts. Lectures. Readings
A STORE FOR EVERYONE
Shop, and Give Back to the Community Wed & Sat 10am - 4pm Thurs & Fri Noon-4pm 743 Main Street, Margaretville 845-586-3737
MARGARETVILLEHOSPITALAUXILIARY.COM
Visit us on Facebook @ Margaretville Auxiliary Thrift Shop
Upscale, custom tattoos and piercings in a clean, friendly, professional environment.
Prospect Ave. & Bridge St., Catskill, NY 12414 beattiepowersplace.blogspot.com
La Conca D’oro FINE ITALIAN AMERICAN CUISINE
Lunch Wednesday – Friday, Closed Tues. Dinner: Wednesday – Monday
298 Main Street, Catskill | (518) 719-1613 | @fawnsleaptattoo
58 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 12/19
440 MAIN STREET CATSKILL, NY 12414 518-943-3549
To manage the latter, he’s partnered with Eric Amling (a friend from college) and Sarah Grimm, who, together, also own the literary agency After Hours. Grimm and Amling have already started hosting events there, including a reading with renowned short-story writer Amy Hempel. The town’s growing enthusiasm for Mr. Cat Hotel is palpable. The closest hotels/motels in Greene County are either further up the mountain, or in Coxsackie to the north, and Saugerties in Ulster County to the south, which forces visitors and business travelers to stay 20 to 30 minutes away from Catskill. To have a hotel on Main Street, within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues, could be a real turning point for the village. “The hotel is exciting,” says Fain. “And there’s a need for it.” Fain anticipates that Mr. Cat Hotel will open by early 2021, and the bank building will open first, in late 2020. Fain’s fourth property, a beautiful three-story building originally built in the 1870s, will soon house in its basement Left Bank Cidery, a cider tasting room and production site run by Tim Graham, a former classmate of Fain’s when they were both graduate students at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Other plans include a cassis production site in the rear of the first floor and a photography studio and artist residency, complete with dark room, on the second floor. He is currently looking for one or two more businesses to rent the rest of the space and, being discerning about the process, both for Catskill’s sake and his own. Fain’s purchase of these four properties, along with Lumberyard’s purchase and renovation of the former Dunn’s Building Supply building in 2015, and Stef Halmos’s purchase in 2017 and ongoing renovation of the 50,000 square-foot building that will house her proposed Foreland arts ecosystem, all represent a new level of investment in Catskill. “In the past 10 years, businesses were started without a full-fledged business plan or market analysis,” says Vincent Seeley, the president of the Catskill Board of Trustees, a position he’s held on and off for 12 years. “The level of investment [in Catskill] has gone from amateur to professional. We now have people bringing solid business ideas and plans forward with enough capital to not only start their business, but also weather any slow time, which is crucial.” Many of Catskill’s downtown businesses (30 percent of which, according to Seeley, are women-owned) have recently banded together to form the Catskill Merchant Coalition. The group meets monthly to discuss issues, coordinate efforts, and plan community-wide events like Second Saturday Strolls, Catskill Trick or Treat, and a village easter egg hunt. Construction continues at Ben Fain’s property on Main Street, which will eventually house Left Bank Cidery.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY PAGES 59
GLEN FALLS HOUSE
Award-winning sandwiches, coffee, and specialty goods in an authentic Catskills atmosphere.
NYE hindsight 2020
ts presen
PALENVILLE
3328 Route 23A
new year, new decade. come celebrate in the heart of the catskills.
THE TAVERN AT G LEN FALLS
TROT W O O D RESTAURANT
dj jdh + special guests
dinner + live jazz
CATSKILL
395 Main Street BREAKFAST & LUNCH DAILY
Organic Fair Trade Coffee • Locally-made Gifts Provisions • Juice Bar • Catering • Baked Goods
Explore our menu at www.circlewmarket.com
EARLY BIRDS
6pm • $55/pp + dinner
WHOLE SHEBANG 8pm • $100/pp + dinner + toast + party
PARTY ANIMALS 10pm • $20/pp + party
FO R M O RE IN FO + T ICKE TS glenfallshouse.com/nye2020 G LEN FALLS H O USE 230 W IN T ER CLOVE R OA D, R O U N D TO P, NY 12473 518.622.9363
Insuring your dreams, because we care.
Farm, Home & Renters Commercial & Personal Auto Business, Commercial & Mercantile Life, Annuities & Disability RV/Boat/Motorcycle Worker’s Comp, Disability & Paid Family Medical Leave
A curated lifestyle store with a collection of apothecary, homeware and vintage pieces blended with our own all natural essential oil candles and custom apothecary products. STORE HOURS :
Wed-Thurs: 12–6 Fri–Sat: 11–6 • Sun: 11–3
thevillagecommon.com
CURIOUS? Check it out.
BOOKS • MUSIC • MOVIES • EBOOKS AUDIOBOOKS • VIDEO GAMES • WIFI ONLINE STREAMING • COMPUTERS PROGRAMS • ONLINE CLASSES LANGUAGE LEARNING • RESEARCH
384B Main Street Catskill, NY 12414 P. 518-943-3333 F. 518-943-3334 1 Franklin St. Catskill, NY 12414 • (518) 943-4230 www.catskillpubliclibrary.org
The first stop on your next great Catskills adventure
Love Catskill, Shop Local a little bit of everything for everyone open every day 10 am - 6pm 397 Main Street Catskill, NY mahalogiftsinc.com 518.943.SHOP follow us
f Q @mahalogiftshop 60 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Mount Tremper, NY | www.catskillsvisitorcenter.org
Greg Smith, another village board of trustee, says that Catskill’s large events bring the most people together. “The Parade of Lights in the winter and the Food Truck Festival in the summer bring the most foot traffic to Catskill, and it’s a mix of residents and tourists. We want a village where people come to visit, but also for people who live here to be able to stay. It’s very difficult to do that properly.” Some businesses independently offer community events. Laura and Liam Singer plan to hold their second community Thanksgiving dinner at the Avalon Lounge this year (the first was at Hilo in 2018). The event is free, open to anyone, and completely volunteer- and donation-based. “Catskill is a tight-knit community,” says Shawn Corbin, the bartender at La Conca D’oro (yes, that bartender). That sense of community—that people are looking out for one another and (almost) everybody knows your name—is the main reason people cite when asked why they moved here, or why they chose to stay. “There’s something so different about Catskill,” says Ben Fain. “It’s hard to put your finger on it. It’s not just one story. There’s not one person who is in control. It’s a lot of different, interesting people with different passions. There are also people whose families have been here for many generations, and they’ll always be here. It’s that recipe that makes it so special. It’ll always be funky.” How Catskill’s developments will play out in the long run are yet to be seen. The town is experiencing growing pains, such as a decrease in affordable housing and an increase in Airbnbs, while at the same time attracting major artists, such as Chinese photographer Shi Guorui, whose recent exhibition at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site received a multipage feature in the New York Times arts section. But there is still a sense of communal commitment to making sure no one is left behind as Catskill’s star rises. “Catskill at this moment is full of people opening their own places, freelancers who don’t fit neatly into boxes, and people who see that here they can affect change, personally, professionally, and in the community,” says ACE’s Maureen Sager. Sager should know—she moved her family to Catskill from Saratoga exactly a year ago. “Catskill had everything I was looking for. The surrounding nature is absolutely gorgeous, and the scale of the town is really enchanting. Plus, my kids love it. I’m an empty nester—my kids are now 18 and 21 and off to college. But I gave them a choice of place, and they totally wanted to make Catskill their home base. If a place can satisfy both an 18-year old and their parent, that’s really saying something.”
From top: Ben LeBel and Blake Kendal Hays, co-owners of Village Common; Chrisie Cordrey sews in her studio/ retail store Corduroy Shop; A typical morning at HiLo, a bar/cafe/gallery that serves as Catskill’s social hub.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY PAGES 61
1. 394 Main
394 Main Street 394MainStreet.com A Mediterranean bistro.
2. Atelier Progressif
75 Bridge Street Atelierprogressif.com A contemporary gallery focused on new media culture.
3. Bittersweet Catskill 374 Main Street Bittersweetcatskill.com Local ice cream shop.
4. Body Be Well Pilates
401 West Main Street Bodybewellpilates.com Safe and effective Pilates instruction.
5. Bridge Street Theatre 44 West Bridge Street Bridgest.org A three-space performing and visual arts complex.
6. Catskill Country Store
430 Main Street Thecatskillcountrystore.com Locally sourced provisions, skincare, and home goods.
7. Catskill Liquors
344 West Bridge Street Catskillliquors.com Wine and spirits shop.
18. Creekside Restaurant 160 Main Street Creeksidecatskill.com American classics, cocktails, and various beers, creekside.
19. Crossroads Brewing Company 201 Water Street Crossroadsbrewingco.com Taproom with a great view of the 20-barrel brewhouse.
20. Factory & Main
355 Main Street Factoryandmain.com Locally produced clothing, jewelry, home goods, and skincare.
21. Fahrenheit 451 House
451 Main Street Fahrenheit451house.com/#/ audiomailfirstyear A private library featuring curated research for praxis in the Anthropocene.
22. Fawn’s Leap Tattoo
298 Main Street Facebook.com/fawnsleaptattoo/ Upscale, custom tattoos and piercings.
23. FisheyeBrooklyn
473 Main Street Fisheyebrooklyn.com Ceramics for the home and table.
24. Friends of Beattie-Powers Place
8. Catskill Public Library 1 Franklin Street Catskillpubliclibrary.org Public library.
Powers Place & Bridge Street Beattiepowersplace.blogspot.com/ A destination for chamber music, jazz, and lectures.
9. Catskill Recreation Center
25. Frisbee Insurance Agency
651 Co Road 38, Arkville Catskillrecreationcenter.org Ping pong, lap pool, gym, and classes.
10. Catskill Wheelhouse
46 Anbach Lane Catskillwheelhouse.org Child-led, nature-focused education for ages 3-10.
11. Catskills Visitor Center
5096 Route 28, Mt Tremper Catskillsvisitorcenter.org Visitor center for the Catskill Park.
12. Circle W Market Catskill 395 Main Street Circlewmarket.com Sandwiches, coffee, provisions.
13. Circle W Market Palenville
3328 NY-23A, Palenville Circlewmarket.com Coffee, sandwiches, and specialty goods.
14. Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty 397 Main Street Villagegreenrealty.com Upstate-focused real estate agency.
15. Corduroy Shop
384 Main Street B Facebook.com/TheFrisbeeAgency A full-service insurance agency representing Farm Family Insurance.
26. Glen Falls House & Trotwood Restaurant
35. La Casa Latina
1 Brandows Alley Lacasalatina.food74.com Authentic Mexican and Latina cuisine.
36. La Conca D’oro
440 Main Street Laconcadorocatskill.wordpress.com Italian-American restaurant offering a variety of home-cooked dishes.
37. Lumberyard Center For Film and Performing Arts 62 Water Street Lumberyard.org Lumberyardstudios.org Lumberyardweddings.org A nonprofit performing arts and film center and events venue.
38. M Gallery
350 Main Street Mgallery-online.com Paintings, portraits, and one-of-a-kind objets d’art.
39. Magpie Bookshop 392 Main Street Magpiebookshop.com Fine secondhand books.
40. Mahalo Gift Shop
397 Main Street Mahalogiftsinc.com A gift shop with something for all: jewelry, men, and baby.
41. Margaretville Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop
42. New York Restaurant
460 Main Street Christinripley.com Turkish ebru marbling, serigraph, and relief-printed textiles.
28. HiLo Catskill
365 Main Street Hilocatskill.com A cafe, bar, art gallery, and performance space.
29. HR Home Gift Shoppe 393 Main Street Quaint little gift shop within Hair Razors Salon.
30. J&J Smokehouse BBQ
31. Joe’s Garage
62 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 12/19
462 Main Street L-and-m-studio.com Modern, colorful slip-cast porcelain for the home and garden.
27. Hand-Printed & Sewn Here
16. CounterEv Furniture Factory Outlet
398 Main Street Greenearts.org Regional arts council serving Greene, Columbia, and Schoharie counties.
34. l&m studio
743 Main Street, Margaretville Margretvillehospitalauxiliary.com Thrift shop benefiting Margaretville Hospital and Mountainside Residential Care Center.
550 Main Street Jjsmokehousebbq.com A barbecue joint inspired by places across America.
17. CREATE Council on the Arts
369 Main Street Kirwansgamestore.com New and used video games.
230 Winter Clove Road, Round Top Glenfallshouse.com A cozy Catskills resort and locallysourced restaurant, Trotwood.
396 Main Street Corduroyshop.com Home goods made with vintage and antique textiles. 473 Main Street Counterev.com High-quality furniture and home goods from reclaimed wood.
33. Kirwan’s Game Store
443 Main Street Joesgaragecatskill.com A vintage-industrial event space.
32. Kaaterskill Farm Natural Storehouse
3 Boulevard Avenue Facebook.com/kaaterskill.health.food Family owned and operated health food store.
353 Main Street Nyrestaurantcatskill.com Casual dining, American standards, and authentic Polish Fare.
43. Open Studio
402 Main Street Openstudiocatskill.com Original art, global handicrafts, and used books.
44. Radici Italian Kitchen
138 Water Street Radici-italian-restaurant.business.site Traditional Southern Calabrian food.
45. Rip Van Winkle Brewing Company 4545 NY-32 Ripvanwinklebrewery.com World-class, award-winning ales and lagers.
46. Salem’s Moon
408 Main Street Salemsmoonny.com Hand-blended oils, incense, and other specialty items.
47. Shoofly Childrens Shoes and Accessories (formerly NYC)
358 Main Street Shooflynyc.com Close-out children’s shoes, socks, tights, hats, and clothes at discount prices.
48. Shook Insurance Agency, LLC 332 Main Street Catskillinsurance.com Personal and business insurance.
49. Sister Salvage 390 Main Street Facebook.com/SisterSalvage-168511693333143 A one-of-a-kind vintage junk/antique store.
50. Social Sara
Instagram.com/social.sara sara@social-sara.com Social media support for small businesses.
51. Solo Vino 354 Main Street Facebook.com/solovinocatskill Catskill’s natural wine, craft spirits, cider, and sake store.
52. Spike’s Record Rack 400 Main Street Facebook.com/spikesrecordrack Vinyl, cassettes, CDs, concert t-shirts, books, and DVDs.
53. Subversive Malting + Brewing 96 West Bridge Street Drinksubversive.com Locally-sourced beer. Taproom opening 2020.
54. Teaching Spirit Retreat Centers 23 Franklin Street Teachingspirit.com Retreat center.
55. The Avalon Lounge 29 Church Street Theavalonlounge.com Live music venue, dance club, and bar with a Korean kitchen.
56. The Community Theatre 373 Main Street Thecommunitytheatre.com Independent movie theater showing the latest films.
57. The Mermaid Cafe 374 Main Street Ramen and tacos, made with local ingredients.
58. The Rodney Shop 362 Main Street Therodneyshop.com Artwork and product design by Rodney Alan Greenblat.
59. Thomas Cole National Historic Site 218 Spring Street Thomascole.org Historic home and studios of painter Thomas Cole.
60. Village Common 404-406 Main Street Thevillagecommon.com Apothecary, homeware, and vintage pieces.
61. Village Pizza II 416 Main Street Villagepizzaofcatskill.com Italian pizzeria and restaurant.
62. Yoga Path 393 Main Street Yogapathcatskill.com Yoga studio.
This directory is a paid supplement.
Sponsored
Illustration by Kaitlin Van Pelt 12/19 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY PAGES 63
A collaboration with
A property owned by John Bourbaris at 151 Ann Street in Newburgh.
64 FEATURE CHRONOGRAM 12/19
A Slumlord in Newburgh
How one landlord’s poor track record reflects a systemic failure by Arvind Dilawar Photos by Roy Gumpel
C
hristopher Kimbrough lives in the East End of Newburgh, an especially dangerous part of the city. When considering his family’s current apartment, on the third floor of the building, he and his wife judged its height to be a benefit, despite the walk up with their five children—the chances of a stray bullet flying through such a high window are remote. But what the 26-year-old Newburgh native is now more concerned about is the apartment’s lack of fire escapes. (Fire escapes are not legally mandated in Newburgh.) Neighbors have told Kimbrough that there was a fire caused by the building’s faulty wiring a few years back, and he figures that, should a conflagration block access to the building’s lone stairwell, the family would be left with only one option: jumping three feet to the neighbor’s roof. “Through my bedroom window, there’s another apartment building where they have a landing,” says Kimbrough. “Worst-case scenario, that would be what we would have to try to get to—the building next door.” Kimbrough is a tenant of John Boubaris, one of the biggest landlords in Newburgh. As the owner of nearly three dozen local properties with a track record of problems, Boubaris is also known to some as the biggest slumlord in town. This Old City Newburgh is home to almost 29,000 residents, 70 percent of whom rent. With fewer than 5,500 residential properties in the city, demand is swollen for housing that is often both old and neglected. “There’s a variety of housing stock throughout the city, but the bulk of where we see our biggest
challenges are in the East End, with houses that are typically pushing 130, 140 years old,” explains William Horton, Newburgh’s building inspector. “We see a lot of issues with the plumbing, we see issues with the roofs leaking, problems with the mechanicals, particularly the boilers, furnaces. People sometimes struggle with leaky pipes, no heat. Even the electrical in some instances is quite old, and they might lose a circuit occasionally because something burns out. “Some landlords move pretty quickly” to address these issues, Horton adds. “Other ones, it takes months and months.” According to Orange County public records, Boubaris owns at least 30 properties in Newburgh, which are registered to a post office box in neighboring New Windsor. An article from the Times Herald-Record in 2005 suggests that he purchased most of them that year. The properties range from single-family homes to mixed-use buildings with ground-level retail and walk-up apartments. Additionally, documents obtained from the Newburgh Building Inspectors Office through a Freedom of Information Law request reveal that Boubaris’s properties have amassed hundreds of complaints, from lack of heat to unpermitted construction, collapsed ceilings to unlawful rental of individual rooms. Boubaris previously told the Times Herald-Record that the tenants themselves are responsible for such conditions. (Contacted for this article, Boubaris declined to comment, referring queries to Orange County Landlord Association President Michael Acevedo, who failed to respond to multiple interview requests.)
12/19 CHRONOGRAM FEATURE 65
Although Horton refuses to comment on Boubaris in particular, he notes that “the landlord business is a booming business in the City of Newburgh. People for a long time have made a lot of money in Newburgh without putting a lot of money into it.” A Lack of Choices Kimbrough and his wife moved into their current apartment in one of Boubaris’ buildings after being forced from their previous rental by a flea infestation that threatened the health of their newborn son. As Kimbrough describes it, their only other option was moving back into his mother’s one-bedroom, so the couple decided to swallow their doubts about Boubaris’s apartment. The condition of the building, with its broken front door, uneven floors, and haphazardly installed fixtures and appliances, was far from ideal but manageable, Kimbrough thought. They signed a one-year lease on the apartment, which Kimbrough believes was converted from a one-bedroom into a three-bedroom. “We came here, saw it, and immediately had doubts,” he says. “But in our situation, we didn’t have many other options to go for, so we gave him the rent money.”
hallway is kept on. Tenants are also charged inconsistent amounts for water: Someone Boubaris hires to read the water meters installed in apartments writes the charges by hand on a bill from the city that is actually addressed to Boubaris (and which has the original amounts and other information redacted with white-out). “When we got our first bill, it was like $13 and we thought, ‘That’s fine for a month, it should probably be about that,’” says Kimbrough. “Then, as the months went on, it kept rising to a $180 bill, almost $200 a couple of times. I know we’re using water, but not that much.” Lead Paint Kimbrough’s greatest concern, however, is lead paint. He recently had his children tested and his infant son’s results came back nearly four times higher than the county’s threshold for lead poisoning. The child is now on medication to treat the elevated levels of lead. “Now I’m looking at all the small details that I overlooked before,” Kimbrough says of the apartment. “Lead paint is a widespread problem in Newburgh because we have old housing stock,” says Heidi Meehan,
Buildings in newburgh owned by John Boubaris. Boubaris’s properties have amassed hundreds of complaints, from lack of heat to unpermitted construction, collapsed ceilings to unlawful rental of individual rooms. The couple was soon planning their next move, as nearly every aspect of their housing revealed itself to be faulty. The oven, which turned out to be the only thing that Boubaris repaired, at first wouldn’t light but now works, albeit with the suggestive scent of a gas leak according to Kimbrough. The electricity along one end of the apartment regularly cuts off when a large appliance is turned on, requiring the circuit breakers in the basement to be reset. A rodent infestation in the roof has led to animals chewing holes through the drop ceiling tiles. “At night, it scares my kids,” says Kimbrough. “They’re like, ‘What is that?’ And I have to tell them, ‘Oh, don’t worry, it’s something on the roof,’ when I know it’s something inside of the roof.” The issues with the apartment have proven not only troublesome, but costly. In addition to $1,300 in rent, Kimbrough and his wife must cover electricity and water bills, which exceed expectations due to the condition of the building. Kimbrough, who has done contractor work and grew up with a grandfather who worked in construction, insists that the entire building’s electrical system is both antiquated and incorrectly wired. He insists that the setup leads to outsized charges for small necessities, such as an additional $200 a month if the light in the otherwise dark 66 FEATURE CHRONOGRAM 12/19
a senior public health educator with the Orange County Department of Health. “When you have a city like this, with lots of old housing that has been deteriorating over the years, you’re going to have lead hazard.” The Department of Health conducts lead inspections of properties where children have been found to exceed the threshold for exposure. Inspection results are shared with landlords, along with a deadline to implement fixes, such as containment or removal. Should landlords fail to comply, the department is also able to fine them. Like Building Inspector Horton, Meehan would not comment on specific landlords or properties. “We have landlords who don’t love us,” she admits. Documents obtained from the Orange County Department of Health via a FOIL request show that lead paint hazards were found in Kimbrough’s building four times since Boubaris took ownership in 2013. In every instance, the department mandated remediation in the form of cleaning dust and removing paint chips. Boubaris complied, albeit consistently late, and each complaint was eventually closed. It is unclear from the dicuments if the lead poisoning of Kimbrough’s son will result in another inspection or any further remediation.
Empty Promises Kimbrough is not the only tenant who has had to contend with the state of Boubaris’ rental properties. “Alex” has long been a Boubaris tenant, renting more than one apartment from him over the years. (Fearing retaliation, Alex declined to share their real name.) Like Kimbrough, Alex is a Newburgh native and has faced many similar housing issues, such as broken hardware, malfunctioning appliances, and disruptions to their utilities. But unlike Kimbrough, Alex’s rent is paid directly to Boubaris by the Orange County Social Services Department through the Temporary Assistance program. In order for Alex to move into their current apartment, Social Services needed to first sign off on its condition—which Alex insists the department should not have done. “When I walked into this place, there were no batteries in the fire alarms,” says Alex. “It was not up to code, and he still got accepted.” Both Alex and Kimbrough have complained about the issues with their housing directly to Boubaris and received similar responses: empty promises of future fixes or, at best, repairs that they claim are superficial and performed by unqualified individuals. With his prior experience in contracting, Kimbrough describes the repairs as inadequate, and Alex, who’s personally familiar with many of the workers, insists that they are unlicensed. Kimbrough cites the work done to address his power outages as representatives of Boubaris’s quick fixes. “The electrical issue, he tried to accommodate by updating the breakers,” says Kimbrough. “They were like 15-watt and 10-watt amps, and he put in 20-watt amps. But that really didn’t fix the problem because things aren’t wired correctly.” Although their complaints to Boubaris continue to fall on deaf ears, neither Kimbrough nor Alex have brought their issues to Newburgh’s building or health departments. While tenants who file grievances are legally protected from retaliation, including eviction, both Alex and Kimbrough feel they have too much to lose. It’s a power imbalance that Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV), a regional non-profit law firm, believes landlords factor into their business. “It is noticeable that, despite increased publicity around the poor housing conditions in the city, a number of landlords continue to offer housing that fails to meet minimum habitability standards,” says Rachel Simons, an attorney with LSHV. “In our opinion, these landlords are offering substandard housing at affordable rates with the expectation that these tenants are going to be too afraid to complain.” Simons points out that recent housing legislation passed in Albany may help tenants better defend themselves from vindictive landlords. Under the The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, tenants in New York State are now protected from both eviction
and rent increases within the year following a complaint to their landlord, an agent of their landlord, or a government agency. Neither Kimbrough nor Alex are familiar with the new law. As a model for further improving tenant protections in Newburgh, Simons points to New York City Housing Court. In the five boroughs, tenants are able to bring “housing part proceedings,” through which they can compel landlords to make repairs. Tenants file their complaint with the court and request an inspection by the city. If the housing conditions are found to be unsatisfactory, the landlord will be issued violations for correction within 24 hours to 90 days, depending on the degree of hazard. Furthermore, the complaint triggers court proceedings, which involve the landlord and the city itself, which must mediate a settlement, including a timetable for repairs. The process allows landlords to be held in contempt and, importantly, tenants are protected from retaliatory harassment, including unwarranted eviction. Simons is not familiar with any such efforts afoot in Newburgh. The housing efforts that do exist in Newburgh focus less on empowering tenants to hold their landlords accountable and more on recovering abandoned properties, as with the Newburgh Community Land Bank, or on constructing new affordable housing, such as Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh. Community Voices Heard, a New York Citybased community organizing nonprofit, has been hosting local tenants’ rights trainings around the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, but if Kimbrough or Alex are any indication, it will be a stretch to reach the people most in need. At the moment, fear has resigned both Kimbrough and Alex to renting from Boubaris. Kimbrough and his family are currently on a waiting list for a rent-controlled apartment, and he fears that, if they were evicted or if the building was condemned, they may not be able to find another home in the meantime. Alex is in a tighter bind because, as they describe it, Boubaris is one of the few landlords in Newburgh who will rent to someone like them—that is, someone with poor credit whose rent is paid by Social Services. Both Kimbrough and Alex describe Boubaris as preying on tenants who have no other option but to comply—to hand over their paychecks or public assistance in exchange for housing that they know to be substandard, that they suspect even the city knows is substandard. But the situation persists in a vicious cycle. Kimbrough was referred to Boubaris by a friend of his wife, who also rents from him. And, all of their misgivings aside, Alex finds themselves still referring friends to Boubaris as well. “I try really hard not to refer anybody to him,” says Alex. “But when I do, it’s purely out of desperation—purely out of the fact that they’re desperate and there are no other options.” 12/19 CHRONOGRAM FEATURE 67
arts profile
The Good Fighter Malcolm Nance By Peter Aaron
68 ARTS & CULTURE CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Malcolm Nance in Kuwait City, 1991, Operation Desert Storm.
Nance was a driving force behind Warrior’s Haven in Stockport, a residential facility for veterans transitioning into civilian life that opened in 2015.
I
n the tiny Columbia County town of Stockport, about six miles northeast of Hudson and 30 miles south Albany, lies the former WindStott Farm. A working farm since 1886, it’s home to horses and other animals. Its rolling fields are lush and green, the sky is blue and clear, and the scent of freshly harvested hay fills the nostrils. The only sounds are the twittering of birds and an occasional whinny from the other side of the weathered cluster of barns and silos at the heart of this 180-acre spread. A picture-perfect slice of upstate New York, it’s beautiful and peaceful. And for a crop of the property’s non-barnyard-dwelling residents, all this beauty and peace, along with a new start in society, is well deserved. In 2015, a group of veterans from all branches of the armed forces launched a plan to remake the site into Warrior’s Haven, a residential facility where combat vets can receive counseling and skills training in general farm management, agricultural machinery operation, animal husbandry, woodworking, carpentry, and construction. A driving figure in the effort behind Warrior’s Haven is local resident Malcolm Nance, a renowned intelligence and counterterrorism expert, frequent MSNBC and NBC News guest commentator, and prolific author. “My farmer friend, an ex-firefighter who has PTSD, and I wanted to [create Warrior’s Haven] because we realized that modern vets don’t want to just hang out at the VFW Hall once they’re out of the service,” says Nance, a decorated 20-year Navy veteran. “They want to be someplace where they can get skills that will help them find work that’s fulfilling. With Warrior’s Haven, they can stay
at this quiet, beautiful place and be in a routine where they get up in the morning and perform the activities on the farm—feed the animals, work in the fields, whatever there is to do—and get useful training.” It’s a far different type of training that has informed Nance’s nearly 35 years of work in combating radical extremist terrorism. An outspoken advocate of human rights, cultural awareness, and ethical accountability within the intelligence field, he’s written such books as Terrorist Recognition Handbook (CRC Press, 2013), Hacking ISIS (Skyhorse Publishing, 2017), The Plot to Destroy Democracy (Skyhorse Publishing, 2017), and his newest, The Plot to Betray America: How Team Trump Embraced Our Enemies, Compromised Our Security, and How We Can Fix It (Hachette Book Group, 2019). A History of Service “I come from a very old military family,” says Nance, who was born in Philadelphia. “There’ve been Nances in the service since the Civil War, when my great-grand uncle, Private William H. Nance, was in the 111th US Colored Troops. I took up the slack for a while, and now my niece is serving the Navy.” His interest in learning foreign languages was sparked by his surroundings. “The neighborhood I was raised in was predominantly Irish Catholic, but we also had a lot of Orthodox Jewish neighbors and I was really curious about them, with their hats and their locks and the other Jewish customs. So that made me want to know about other cultures.” In high school, Nance studied French, Spanish, and Latin, and, on the weekends, Russian and
Chinese. His fascination with world events and counterterrorism also came early. “I saw coverage on TV about the [Palestinian militant group] Black September Organization, but the Munich massacre in 1972 was what really locked me into finding out more about terrorism, and I started reading everything I could find about it,” he says. “The Cold War was going on then, and I studied what was happening. I started noticing how you had Russia and the KGB popping up in all of these places that were hotspots. I could see that [terrorists and the KBG] had political leanings
Nance at his Naval retirement ceremony, Coronado, California, 2001.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM ARTS & CULTURE 69
support company. On the morning of September 11, he was in Washington, DC, waiting in line for a cup of coffee when the news of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center came on the coffee shop’s TV. “I knew immediately what [the terrorists] were doing,” he recalls. “I had run a secret counterterrorism school for five years, and I had operated near and around al-Qaeda members. And that was something I’d predicted they would try, somewhere: aircraft as weapons systems. Kamikaze.” Nance watched as American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon and went immediately to the site, where he jumped in as a first responder and assisted in the rescue and recovery of victims. When asked about his memories of that day, his response is minimal and appropriately somber: “Horrific.”
Nance is a frequent commentator on cable TV.
and that they were bad guys. I wanted to be one of the good guys.” Nance enlisted in 1981, joining the specialized field of naval cryptology. “I came in knowing Russian and Mandarin, and the Navy took value in that, but I ran up against a little racism from some of the instructors,” he says. “They were these older Russian guys and they didn’t want to spend time on me, because they couldn’t see how a black guy who spoke Russian could be useful in the field. But then I started learning Arabic, because, hey, that’s a language that someone who looks like me might speak.” He put his new linguistic skills to swift use, entering the intelligence/counterterrorism wing and becoming an SERE (survival, evasion, resistance, and escape) instructor to train Navy and Marine Corps aircrew members how to survive as prisoners of war. He also took part in the combat operations that followed the 1983 bombing of US and French barracks in Beirut and was tangentially involved in the 1986 US attack on Libya in retaliation for the West Berlin discotheque terrorist bombing and other 1980s operations in the Middle East and Bosnia. He was also instrumental in launching the military’s Advanced Terrorism, Abduction, and Hostage Survival course. Aircraft as Weapons Systems In 2001, after rising to the rank of senior chief petty officer, Nance retired and founded Special Readiness Services International, an intelligence
70 ARTS & CULTURE CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Waterboarding Whistleblower Nance next moved further into counterterrorism and intelligence consulting, lecturing internationally and serving as an intelligence and security contractor in Iraq, Afghanistan, North Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. In 2007, he learned that James Mitchell and John Jesson, a pair of retired Air Force psychologists, had studied his SERE lessons on resisting the torture practice known as waterboarding and coopted the method for it to be used on prisoners as part of a US government-authorized program euphemistically known as “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Nance spoke out, penning an article for the blog Small Wars Journal titled “Waterboarding is Torture… Period” in which he stated that, “I know waterboarding is torture—because I did it myself.” After the piece was republished in the Pentagon Early Bird, Nance was called to testify about the immoral ethics of the use of such methods before Congress, where he stressed that the technique, which has been used by America’s enemies, was not only cruel but also damaging to the country’s global reputation and dishonored those US service members who’d died from being tortured. “I believe that we must reject the use of the waterboard for prisoners and captives and cleanse this stain from our national honor,” he told the floor. He and his late wife, Maryse Beliveau-Nance, a landscape architect who died this past September, had been living in the UAE when they decided to settle in Columbia County, purchasing a large fixer-upper farmhouse there in 2007. “She was from Montreal and I still have family in Philly, so we wanted to be somewhere that was halfway
between those two places,” Nance explains. “I love how in this area you have the ability to go from towns to really rural places in the space of a couple traffic lights. Plus, you have Hudson, which has so much going on, and the Catskills and the Berkshires, which are beautiful.” The Easiest of Easy Marks In 2014, the intelligence expert founded the locally based counterterrorism think tank TAPSTRI (Terror Asymmetrics Project on Strategy, Tactics and Radical Ideologies). In addition to appearing as a commentator on TV, he continues to write for various publications between his book projects. While The Plot to Destroy Democracy chronicles Russia’s weaponizing of America’s freedom of speech against itself via the online propaganda that helped to sway the 2016 election, the meticulously footnoted The Plot to Betray America brings the narrative up to the here and now, focusing methodically on the Russian operation to infiltrate the Trump campaign and manipulate the adminsitration. “I’ve been studying the KGB and how they operate for my whole career, and I’ve seen it up close,” Nance says. “Vladimir Putin is a former KGB officer and Trump is the easiest of easy marks. Trump’s been on Russian intelligence’s radar [as a potential “useful idiot”] since he married Ivana in 1977, and what they’ve done [to influence him] is classic KGB. We’re seeing him give Putin exactly what he wants; we just saw it with the Syrian pullout and we’re seeing it now with all this stuff that’s coming out about Ukraine.” Does Nance believe Trump will be impeached? “I don’t know if he’ll be imprisoned, but I do think he’ll be impeached,” he says. “After he’s gone, Donald Trump’s portrait will be the first presidential portrait to have a black shroud over it.” As the saga in Washington continues to unfold, however, Nance is simultaneously occupied with the activities around Warrior’s Haven, which recently received financial support from Hellboy and “Sons of Anarchy” actor Ron Perlman. And, of course, the 2020 election is on his mind as well. “When I worked in intelligence, my job was to warn Americans when they were in danger, so that’s why I feel like I have to write these books,” Nance says. “This next election will be the most important election in American history. It’s literally going to be about people deciding whether they want a democracy—or an autocracy with a fig leaf of democracy on it.”
Sponsored Lucia and The Bear Photo by Sonam Zoksang
INTO THE LIGHT
The Vanaver Caravan and Arm-of-the-Sea Theater Present their Holiday Show at Kaatsbaan
I
t’s not often that a holiday show can rival the splendor and enchantment of “The Nutcracker.” But this December 14 and 15, the Vanaver Caravan and Arm-of-the-Sea Theater celebrate the 13th anniversary of their original show, “Into the Light.” It’s a fanciful, multicultural dance, music, and theater spectacular that has become a Hudson Valley holiday tradition with a staying power all its own. “It’s a heart-opening production that gets people ready for the holidays,” says artistic director Livia Vanaver, who cofounded the Vanaver Caravan along with her husband, Bill. “Into the Light” tells the fantastical story of Lucia, a young girl from a northern country who finds that as the sunlight dramatically lessens throughout the season, so do her spirits. In the deepest moment of her sorrow, Lucia is rescued by a bear, who becomes her steadfast companion on the journey ahead. The two friends travel around the world together, discovering how different cultures find and celebrate light in the darkest time of the year.
The show is built on the Vanaver Caravan’s characteristic celebration of international diversity in dance and music, which it has promoted since its founding in 1972. The organization performs globally inspired choreography and music, as well as providing cross-cultural dance education through in-school arts residencies and afterschool classes. “Into the Light” ambitiously weaves together international traditions of music, storytelling, and dance, with special emphasis on the rituals of Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Sankta Lucia, Winter Solstice, and Yule. With “Into the Light,” the Vanaver Caravan has crafted a memorable partnership with Arm-of-the-Sea Theater, another venerable Hudson Valley arts organization, who specializes in contemporary mask and puppet theater. Arm-of-the-Sea provides a richly textured, whimsical visual landscape for the show and a spellbinding display of costumes for the cast of larger-than-life characters, who range from everyday woodland animals to
otherworldly creatures of traditions the world over. “I love working with Arm of the Sea,” says Vanaver. “Their fanciful, colorful puppets bring so much to the story.” This year also marks another milestone for “Into the Light:” For the second year, the production will make its home at Kaatsbaan, a performance and retreat center in Tivoli for the professional dance community. For Vanaver, this new relationship with Kaatsbaan affirms the value of collaborating with other regional arts organizations. “We get to help a whole new audience discover Kaatsbaan,” she says. “Part of our mission is to bring our community together. And this definitely does the trick. It really brings our whole community together in celebration.” Shortened 30-minute excerpts of “Into the Light” will be performed as part of Sinterklaas Festival Day in Rhinebeck on December 7. See the full show at Kaatsbaan December 14-15, with performances at 1pm and 4pm. Tickets are $10-20. Kaatsbaan.org/performances. 12/19 CHRONOGRAM ARTS & CULTURE 71
portfolio
2019
Emerging Artists One of the best things
about being a curator is when an artist you don’t know comes into your field of vision with work that has something special going on. In our region, we have more than our fair share of artists who fit that description. We also have the good fortune to have many talented curators here who can recognize an especially creative artist when they see the work of one. We asked seven curators from our region to select an emerging artist who they considered worthy of more attention. I also chose an artist—bringing the total to eight. (Kirsten Dierup’s work is featured on the cover.) Our working definition for “emerging artist” was: an artist who has already created a consistent body of work demonstrating originality and talent deserving of wider recognition and who has the potential and seriousness of purpose to continue developing their art over the long run. The choices the curators made reflect the variety and diversity of the art being created in our region now. Artists selected include an especially promising high school student, a street photographer from Peekskill, and a practitioner of architectural interventions. Also included are a painter breathing new life into abstraction, an artist born in Malaysia, a transgender artist, a Surrealist, and an artist who creates visual narratives challenging conventional thinking. I thank the curators for the time and talent that they brought to this project. They and the artists they selected are representative of the fact that our region is also emerging—as a distinctive and important art center. —Carl Van Brunt
Natalie Horberg In her first one-person exhibition, “Far and Wee,” inspired by the E.E. Cummings poem “In-Just Spring,” 16-year-old Natalie Horberg presents a series of drawings, paintings, sculptures, and photography that are sophisticated and sensitive beyond her years. Think Yoshitomo Nara—but with a compassionate, rather than sinister, voice. Horberg’s art reveals a deep and careful observation delivered in works that are joyous, quirky, tender, humorous, and full of pathos. Horberg sees the extraordinary in the ordinary. She hinges deeper meaning in small details and her simple lines convey emotional complexities. This young artist is one to keep watching. Natalie Horberg’s exhibition at the Woodstock Artists Association and Museum, “Far and Wee,” which closed in November, is part of the WAAM’s education program Future Visions series. Janice La Motta is the executive director of the Woodstock Artists Association and Museum.
“FAR AND WEE” INSTALLATION VIEW 72 PORTFOLIO CHRONOGRAM 12/19
12/19 CHRONOGRAM PORTFOLIO 73
Padma Rajendran These words by artist and writer Marisa Malone capture the value I see in Padma Rajendran’s art: “Narrative is key in Rajendran’s work. The flatness of her imagery is reminiscent of hieroglyphics or cave paintings and it functions in a similar way— combining the decorative with the descriptive to tell a story. Depictions of fruit, domestic settings, and ritual are central focuses that supply a view into an interior world. Presenting us with daily ephemera, we begin to see (or imagine) their journeys and the symbolic contributions that punctuate our cultural make-up.” This fall, Rajendran’s work was exhibited as part of the “Young Hudson Biennial” at September gallery. Erin Zona is the artistic director of Women’s Studio Workshop in Rosendale.
AMERICAN DREAM JEANS TOO
74 PORTFOLIO CHRONOGRAM 12/19
THE BIRTH OF THE LIGHT
Bridget Caramagna In Caramagna’s rigorous hard-edged geometric paintings, one can grasp a language that seeks to transcend the materiality of paint. Caramagna explains that the vision for each painting is channeled from a source of pure consciousness, and she works as an artist in the service of said consciousness to bring forth images—where viewers are able to bask in the vibratory field of the consciousness that informed the creation of the painting. She views her paintings as spiritual machines—made manifest to awaken humanity into a state of non-dual awareness. Caramagna’s newest work will be presented in a two-person exhibition with Brian Belott at Mother Gallery from May 30 through June 28. Paola Oxoa is the director of Mother Gallery in Beacon.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM PORTFOLIO 75
Ocean Morriset Photography continues to evolve, as nearly everyone now has a device capable of capturing and storing high volumes of digital images, which can easily be layered, altered, and computer enhanced. I still respond the most, however, to simple photos that capture a basic, but often poignant, moment of human connection. From the first moment I started seeing Ocean Morisset’s photos appear on social media in Peekskill— capturing community events, everyday interactions between parents and kids, conductor and commuter shots—I have been struck by the visceral connection Ocean has helped me feel with this diverse and special community. His series “Daddy Day” and “Subway Stories” are brilliant representations of the subtle and often underrepresented moments of sublime beauty and grandiose love on a normal day’s journey. Katie Schmidt Feder is the executive director of the Garrison Art Center.
76 PORTFOLIO CHRONOGRAM 12/19
PHOTOGRAPH FROM “SUBWAY STORIES”
HUDSON VALLEY GHOST COLUMN #4
Alison McNulty Alison McNulty uses salvaged and organic materials to create ephemeral and interactive sculpture, architectural interventions, site-responsive indoor and outdoor installations, video, photography, and works on paper. Her Hudson Valley Ghost Columns are built from bricks and sheep wool, materials important to the region’s geological, social, and industrial history. McNulty’s work was recently included in the “Terrain Biennial Newburgh” and group exhibitions at Wilderstein and the Dorsky Museum of Art. In 2018, she had a solo show in the Beacon Project Room at BAU Gallery in Beacon. In 2020 her work will be included in “Ineligible: Art/Archeology,” at the International Museum of Contemporary Sculpture in Santo Tirso, Portugal. Karlyn Benson is a curator and co-president of BeaconArts.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM PORTFOLIO 77
Jean-Marc Superville Sovak Jean-Marc Superville Sovak’s work takes many forms but, whatever technique he employs, there is always a compelling story that is effectively conveyed through material and process. Whether constructing with bricks that have been salvaged or created, adroitly using drawing or printmaking methods, altering found objects, repurposing building materials, or scripting and producing a video, Superville Sovak adeptly engages his chosen medium and approach to craft narratives that can question societal and historic conventions and generate the evocative interventions that infuse both his teaching and artistic practice. Examples of his most recent body of work—the “a-Historical Landscapes”—will be exhibited in “Collecting Local: Twelve Years of the Hudson Valley Artists Annual Purchase Award,” which opens February 8 at the Dorsky Museum. Alyson Baker is the founder and executive director of the River Valley Arts Collective.
78 PORTFOLIO CHRONOGRAM 12/19
A-HISTORICAL LANDSCAPE: WEEHAWKEN
COLLISION
Samantha Palmeri I first saw Palmeri’s work when I was gallery director at Woodstock Artists Association and Museum. I was immediately struck by its visceral nature, revealing a sensibility wrestling with the challenges of abstract painting in a way that communicated something serious about her life. Palmeri is unafraid of color and delves into its mysteries in a way that is recognizably her own. Her compositions find resolution through passages of tension and imbalance. Forms jangle up in corners and roll into knots. Her paint application scratches for life. There’s lots of smarts in her work and a ton of heart. Carl Van Brunt is a curator and frequent Chronogram contributor.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM PORTFOLIO 79
excerpt
HOW TO MANAGE YOUR GIRLFRIEND’S WHITE GUILT By Duval Culpepper Photo by David McIntyre A native of Harlem, Duval Culpepper now makes his home in the Hudson Valley, performing at comedy clubs across the country and attempting to convince people that Wild Wild West is a superior film to Django Unchained. The following essay is from How to Manage Your Girlfriend’s White Guilt: And Other Horrifying Tales of Rich White Liberals (Forest Complex 88 Publishing). This is Culpepper’s first book.
80 BOOKS CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Leslie is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She’s the kind of girl who’d attended an actual debutante ball growing up (“just for show,” she insisted). After graduating from Brown and spending a year abroad volunteering in a rural community in Nicaragua that would probably have been fine without her help, she moved to New York City to teach public school. After chatting on OkCupid for a week or so, we’ve decided to meet up at a bar and see if our real-life banter can match the witty potency of its digital equivalent. So far, it translates. She’s beautiful, a brunette. We’ve been riding that good-first-date high for 20 minutes or so when, emboldened, I take Leslie’s hands in my own. She quickly snatches them back, eyes averted. “I’m sorry...” I say, having apparently crossed some line I couldn’t perceive. “No, it’s not you. I just have”—she says as her hands fall to her thighs and she rubs them against her dress—“sweaty palms. It’s a thing.” “You ruined a perfectly good romantic moment because of sweaty palms?” I howl, both of us now laughing. “Give me those,” I demand with a grin, reaching underneath the table to feel what, I now realize, are in fact some very moist mitts. But the mood is reset. We’re in tune with one another again. “So, what do you do for work?” I ask, pulling back instinctively to just hold the tips of her fingers. “Teaching, mostly,” she says. “Seventh grade English. But I also help them with their internalized racism.” At this, I release her fingers. “Their what?” I ask, now going for my deconstructed tequila sunrise. “Oh like, you know, like if a black person straightens their hair it’s because they have issues of self-loathing and resent their culture,” she says with an eerily cheerful smile. (And all this time I thought I did that in high school to look like Lando Calrissian.) I take a deep breath. I grew up around black women who straightened their hair. They seemed happy when they were doing it. I remember the way they used to bond while performing this ritual before going out to catch a long-forgotten R&B act play in a part of the city not even the gentrifiers would dare explore. Or the way my little sister would perch on the couch watching The Mummy Returns on AMC while my mother stood behind her with a flatiron, getting her ready for Thanksgiving supper. The “hair debate” was new to me—my family of very black people never seemed to have any issues with it. It seemed to be just college-educated white kids who did. “What about when you vacation in Barbados and pay one of the natives to spin those locks of yours into a braid?” I probe. “Is that internalized racism?” “That’s a little different,” she says. “Why?” I ask. Leslie squirms like the replicant in the beginning of Blade Runner being asked about the turtle flipped on its back, and I realize the more I prolong this line of questioning, the likelier it is that I’ll be jerking off this evening, so, at the expense of intellectual inquiry, I let it go. “So, how do you get along with your students?” I ask. “Well, you know, they can be...challenging...at times,” she says, the skin beneath her left eye contorting viciously. “But they’re good kids.” “Where do you teach again?” I ask. “Off the Grand Concourse,” she says. “God damn. Do you carry a 9mm in your purse?” I say with an inflection that involuntarily recalls the great Garrett Morris. “That’s really offensive,” she replies, brushing a few locks of hair behind her ear. “No, it’s not. That’s a fucking horrible neighborhood.” “You don’t know what it’s like for my kids.” “Leslie, I grew up four blocks away from where you teach.” “Well, but…” she starts. I can feel her trying to make sense of me. “You’re different. You probably went to private school,” she says desperately. I give my lower lip what I hope appears to be a flirtatious bite in an attempt to keep my face from fully telegraphing my ire. It’s been a while since I’ve been out with someone who shares my love of that Netflix show with Idris Elba in it, and I’m tired of watching it alone. I consider changing
the subject, but isn’t this the point of dating someone from an Ivy League school? Spirited debate? “And that disqualifies me from commenting on my own race?” I’m looking at her, studying the way her idealistic conviction seems to be coming into conflict with her proprietary southernness and her attraction to me. I feel a little bad, to be honest, but I’m tired of dealing with these wildly slanted perceptions. After a pregnant pause of a good 10 seconds, she speaks again. “No, I mean, but don’t you agree that white patriarchy makes it practically impossible for at-risk youth to succeed in our country?” she asks hopefully. “At-risk youth?” I start quietly. “You mean—black people?” She flinches a bit. “You don’t think the odds are stacked against minorities in this country?” she offers quietly. “Of course,” I say slowly. “But I just think it’s more constructive to focus on the positive things the black community has at its disposal rather than perpetuate a compounding-victim narrative that makes a group of people think they’re doomed before they even try to achieve success.” This date-turned-Senate-hearing drags on, and in spite of how painfully awkward it gets, Leslie never wavers or wants to change the subject. I respect her for this. Even I have my limits for social discomfort, though, and eventually, recognizing the need for some sort of peace offering, I flag down our waiter and order two shots of Maker’s. The whiskey arrives and we reluctantly raise our glasses, both of us genuinely unsure whether we hate each other. “I want to like you, Duval,” she says in earnest. “It’s all right. Most people don’t,” I say. “Cheers.” Surprisingly, she invites me back to her place in Bed-Stuy,
and I oblige her. When we arrive, her roommate is eating instant macaroni and cheese in the living room. She grimaces and says nothing. Leslie rolls her eyes at me, pours two glasses of water, and leads me into her bedroom, where we have a very adult conversation about STDs (we’ve both been tested and are clean). Then she asks me about my knowledge of essential oils. I nod at everything she says until we’re both naked and having sex slathered in coconut oil. Afterward she suggests we check out Netflix. “‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’?” she asks. I groan. “What’s wrong with ‘Kimmy Schmidt’?” “Well, other than being more racist than Trump…” I say, already starting to gather my belongings. “Seriously?” she says sharply. We date for another month and a half. I find I enjoy seeing how deeply I can offend someone’s sensibilities while maintaining a level of mutual attraction. Several weeks into our relationship, she goes off to Boston to finish her PhD in political science at Harvard. The relationship wouldn’t meet its formal death, however, until the weekend I visit from New York, fail to respond to her texts quickly enough, and I’m told I “should find somewhere else to sleep tonight.” And I do, crashing at an 80-degree angle in the driver’s seat of my 1995 BMW 525i, clutching my bomber jacket for warmth as the rain falls in the parking lot behind the Harvard graduate student residences, hoping the Cambridge police cruiser sitting across the parking lot won’t notice me. Late that night, twisting uncomfortably in my bucket seat, I find myself screaming out loud, “I thought you wanted to help my people get off the streets!” The campus cop doesn’t seem to notice a thing. 12/19 CHRONOGRAM BOOKS 81
Photo by John Halpern
COWORKING + MEETING SPACES + WORKSHOPS + EVENTS
Rhinebeck, NY | coworkwith.co | hello@coworkwith.co
IT Support for Your Business and Home Serving Los Angeles Technical Expertise You Can Trust! and now it@hcdtech.com Ulster County 845-802-6855 www.hcdtech.com Call Bob Helfant Today
CONTENT CREATION • COMMERCIALS • CREATIVE
646.258.7995
Logo design, website design, print campaigns, and everything in between, for all of the Hudson Valley. QUERYCREATIVE.COM
82 BOOKS CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Life Insurance • Group Health Insurance & Benefits PEO • Long Term Care Insurance Medicare Supplemental • Disability Insurance Dental Insurance wallaceandfeldman.com 113 John Joy Road, Woodstock, NY Office: 516 690 7029 | Mobile: 516 398 3343
books
Holiday Books Gift Guide
Here’s a round-up of must-have gift books from local authors, recommended by local bookstore owners and the voracious readers on our staff. They’re all available at those bastions of freedom of expression, democracy, and ingenious entrepreneurship—local independent bookstores. We encourage our readers, as always, to shop local this year, starting with their gift books.
Atlas Obscura, 2nd Edition: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders
America’s Best Day Hikes: Spectacular Single-Day Hikes Across the States
By Joshua Foer, Ella Morton, Dylan Thuras
By Derek Dellinger
WORKMAN PUBLISHING, $37.50
COUNTRYMAN PRESS, $29.95
It’s hard to think of a more gift-wrappable book than Atlas Obscura, a gorgeously designed objet d’art inspired by the popular website of the same name. Cofounded by Hudson Valley resident Dylan Thuras, Atlas Obscura the brand is dedicated to exploration of our planet’s endless supply of amazing sights (and sites), cultures, characters, and adventures. Atlas Obscura the book is an inspirational curio cabinet of all that wonder and thrill that anyone would be proud to have on their coffee table. The recently released second edition is worth a look even for Obscura fans with its 100 new destinations and a foldout map that doubles as an itinerary if you plan to use it like a guidebook (but armchair travelers like me are welcome and encouraged to jump in!).
A perfect gift for both seasoned and aspiring outdoor enthusiasts, America’s Best Day Hikes is a beautiful and practical guide for finding the best trails to explore in every region of the United States—including one memorable trek right here in the Hudson Valley—complete with details about difficulty, seasonal hazards, travel, and packing suggestions. Written and photographed by Beacon resident Derek Dellinger, this new compendium makes for a perfect coffee table book.
Recommended by Jesse Post of Postmark Books in Rosendale.
Cork and Knife by Emily and Matt Clifton PAGE STREET PUBlisHING, $21.99 As all great home cooks and chefs know, building flavors really sets a dish apart and one of the best ways is through the addition of wine, beer or spirits. Emily and Matt Clifton, local bloggers from Beacon known as Nerds with Knives have crafted a beautiful book with mouthwatering photos and easy to follow recipes incorporating booze in every dish! This book is a perfect gift for any foodie on your list! You can even get a personalized signed edition of Cork and Knife when Matt and Emily visit Barking Goose on December 14 at 2pm. Recommended by Jenifer Flynn of Barking Goose Bookstore Bar & Café in Newburgh.
The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton SIMON & SCHUSTER, $35
This passionate mother-daughter duo assembles an all-star list of strong women to inspire us in this great anthology. From Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to Harriet Tubman, the stories in this book give us all something to aspire to. Each portrait is accompanied by personal thoughts from Hillary or Chelsea, and includes photos. This is the perfect gift for all the women (and the best men!) in your life. Recommended by Suzanna Hermans of Oblong Books & Music in Rhinebeck and Millerton. Signed copies available at both shops.
Hi-Fi: The History of High-end Audio Design (Themes and Movements) By Gideon Schwartz PHAIDON, $79.95
Everyone is a geek about something, and for your tech/gadget-head friend or family member who also loves music, Gideon Schwartz’s lavishly illustrated Hi-Fi: The History of High-End Audio Design is the perfect gift. From Edison to Jobs, the phonograph to Braun, Woodstock resident Schwartz covers much ground in this designer’s dream of an informative art book. Our favorite chapter: the super sexy innovations and advertisements from the 1960s. Recommended by James Conrad of the Golden Notebook in Woodstock.
Recommended by Amanda and Anthony Stromoski of Rough Draft Bar & Books in Kingston.
Living Bread: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making Daniel Leader AVERY, $40
Today, professional bakers and bread enthusiasts from all over the world make the pilgrimage to Bread Alone’s headquarters to learn the signature techniques and philosophy of Dan Leader. Leader offers a comprehensive picture of bread baking today for the enthusiastic home baker. It’s as mouthwatering to flip through, with its full-page bread porn photos, as it is instructional, featuring anecdotes from Leader’s travels, information about the evolution of global breadmaking, and 60 recipes ranging from the timeless to the playful. Recommended by Marie Doyon, digital editor of Chronogram.
Ancient Baseball By Mikhail Horowitz ALTE BOOKS, $15
Cultural provocateur and baseball obsessive Mik Horowitz has published a collection of improbable scholarship just in time for the holidays, linking the sport’s origins to its earliest recorded history. This history has its tongue firmly in its cheek, with text and photography that place the game variously in ancient Greece (Aphrodite, or A-Phrod, was a big fan); Mesopotamia (where the Ballpark at Babel was known for its Cuneiform Cola and Chaldean Chips); and Judea (Hebrew sluggers played in the Park of the Covenant). Recommended by Brian K. Mahoney, Chronogram editor.
River By Elisha Cooper ORCHARD BOOKS, $18.99
In this picture book loaded with lush watercolor illustrations, Elisha Cooper takes readers on a trip from the headwaters of the Hudson River all the way down to the ocean. It’s a daring journey taken by a lone woman in a canoe, who experiences intense highs and lows along the way, occasionally questioning whether she can go on. But this book is a study in perseverance and the joy of adventure for adventure’s sake. This one is not just for the kids—anyone who loves the river, the outdoors, or beautiful art will fall hard for this story with a heartwarming ending and lots of little details that will have you coming back to enjoy vicariously traveling the river again and again. Recommended by Kelley Drahushuk of Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM BOOKS 83
WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio THELINDA.ORG 339 CENTRAL AVE, ALBANY NY 12206
The Nutcracker Ballet Presented By Marcus Rogers Dance Company DEC 7 AT 7:30PM & DEC 8 AT 3:30PM
Your work deserves attention. Which means you need a great bio for your press kit or website. One that’s tight. Clean. Professionally written. Something memorable. Something a booking agent, a record-label person, a promoter, or a gallery owner won’t just use to wipe up the coffee spill on their desk before throwing away.
When you’re ready, I’m here.
PETER AARON
Music editor, Chronogram. Published author. Award-winning music columnist, 2005-2006, Daily Freeman. Contributor, Village Voice, Boston Herald, All Music Guide, All About Jazz.com, Jazz Improv and Roll magazines. Musician. Consultations also available. Reasonable rates.
See samples at www.peteraaron.org. E-mail info@peteraaron.org for rates. I also offer general copy editing and proofreading services.
The best selection of vinyl in the Hudson Valley. Selling your vinyl? Talk to us first.
50 N. FRONT ST. UPTOWN KINGSTON 845 331 8217
Check our Facebook for upcoming in store events
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS • New • Used • Vintage PRO AUDIO • Design • Sales • Install • Service Sales, Service, Repairs, Rentals
Painting by Sean Sullivan
ROCKET NUMBER NINE RECORDS
EAT PLAY STAY LIVE YOUR BEST UPSTATE LIFE Real estate, events, and dining highlights delivered directly to your inbox.
We Buy,Trade & Consign Martin • Gretsch •Rickenbacker •Guild •Fender •Gibson 2A Cherry Hill Road, New Paltz
(right next to True Value)
(845) 255-2555 www.imperialguitar.com igs55@aol.com
84 MUSIC CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Sign up today chronogram.com/eatplaystay
music Geezer Spiral Fires (Boneshaker Records/Kozmik Artifactz Records) Kozmik-artifactz.com Geezer retain their undisputed crowns as the kings of Hudson Valley stoner rock on the excellent Spiral Fires EP. This one features drummer Steven Markota (of Nightmares for a Week), who released it via his local Boneshaker Records imprint. Markota brings big fills and green-thumb dedication to the fertile soil of Pat Harrington and Richie Touseull’s psychic garden of guitar, bass, and freaky synth-lines. This band is as homegrown as it gets in these parts, and ready to serve up a fat bowl of Fu Manchu-meets-Floyd-ian stew faster than you can say “Ummagumma.” Recorded locally by engineer Matthew Cullen at Kingston’s Darkworld Studio (which gets a tribute on track 3, “Darkworld”), this EP is a four-song morsel that fills you up but leaves room for you to consider diving into the rest of the band’s budding discography. From the Clutch-reminiscent, two-part “Spiral Fires” (which includes a tasty cameo by guest vocalist Pam Grande on “Spiral Fires Part 2”), to the nearly eight-minute, prog-infused, dirge-y fan favorite “Charley Reefer,” Geezer expand minds as they trudge forward across the surface of distant moons, spreading the gospel of upstate doom. If you claim to care about the louder side of this region’s underground rock scene, Geezer is a band you absolutely must hear if you want anyone to take you seriously as a connoisseur of our local wellspring of serious sonic strangeness. —Morgan Y. Evans
Nick Hetko/Rich Syracuse/Jeff Siegel When Your Were There
Ratboy Jr. Lucky Foot and Sunny Moon
The Templars of Doom Hovels of the Holy
(Artists Recording Collective) Artistsrecordingcollective.biz
(Not Your Daddy’s Records) Ratboyjr.com
(Independent) Templarsofdoom.bandcamp.com
As far memorials go, When You Were There is a raucous, swinging thing. The trio of pianist Nick Hetko, bassist Rich Syracuse, and drummer Jeff Siegel pay tribute to their mentor and former bandleader Dr. Lee Shaw, who died in 2015, by displaying their own significant chops as players and composers. Each of the bandmates contributes a couple of originals and, as the tunes range from about six and a half minutes to over 13 minutes in length, there’s a lot of yardage in which to showcase their skills. Hetko’s left hand moves like a flock of birds in whirls and eddies, outlining rather than highlighting melodies; as complement, Syracuse’s bass playing is fluid and lyrical; Siegel works his full kit expressively. The track list has the exuberant feel of a live set, and I almost longed for the murmur of an audience and the clinking of cocktail glasses. The album’s three covers include Shaw’s title track, the slow Latin groove of which provides the wistful emotional heart of a set of otherwise upbeat and athletic performances. —John Rodat
Recorded by local producer and Dog On Fleas multi-instrumentalist Dean Jones, New Paltz-based Ratboy Jr. recently released their fourth LP, to the delight of adoring “kindie” fans young and old(-er). “Catchy and upbeat” is a genre requisite, but “clever and booty-shakin’” should also be guaranteed. Lucky Foot and Sunny Moon’s vibrant and choreographed dance of voice and sound has all of the above and the horse you rode in on. Get jiggy while making a hat out of anything, rock on with your clown shoes on, skank it up with your robot pirate, and even learn about a mythical, sleepy, and bearded mountain man named Rap Van Winkle. The 14 appropriately short tunes include sweet keys and funky trombones by Jones, and tasty licks and vocal contributions from too many guest musicians to name. Parents will welcome something in the rotation that doesn’t make the brain hurt. —Jason Broome
Every gig is St. Patrick’s Day for the Templars of Doom. The Templars’ songs draw inspiration, characters, and locales from their Ulster County home, as well as their spiritual home in the province of Northern Ireland. Blasting off as the punk/Irish hybrid Alternative Ulster, the current quintet of Rory Quinn (guitars, bouzouki, vocals), Michael X. Rose (vocals, bass, banjo), Eric Pomarico (drums, vocals), Marty Shane (mandolin, vocals), and Josie Rose (bagpipes, vocals) have released their second long-playing record. The martial punk of “H-Block Escape” celebrates the 1983 escape of 38 IRA inmates from Maze prison in Northern Ireland. “Black Friday on My Mind” musically contrasts the down-and-out tale of a beggar with the ecstatic hope of a believer on Good Friday. The bawdy and humorous “Tattoo Covered Hag” carries on the Irish tradition of spinning a good yarn; tin whistles, mandolin, and bagpipes blending seamlessly with gnashing guitars and pounding drums. — Jeremy Schwartz 12/19 CHRONOGRAM MUSIC 85
poetry
EDITED BY Phillip X Levine
Just Find It
tongue of morning sun lick new wounds i finger scars —p
If you sit, in silence, there’s something to hear. If you lie, with your eyes closed, there’s something to see. Even if it’s silence, even if it’s darkness, there’s something to notice, just find it. —Rosa Weisberg (11 years)
Detritus They follow the gurneys holding bags of clothes, a wallet, a cell phone, his ring. Poised in chairs jumping to attention at the slightest sound or movement or tone from the IV pole. They’re tired. Aching backs, contorted brows, heads that throb, dirty hair. Huddled in waiting rooms, at vending machines, in lobbies, at bedsides. Sleeping sitting up. Whispering. Texting. Waiting. Suspended. The other one. Not the recipient of care, the other one, the one left to do the clean up, or simply, left. The suffering. Enough to go around. —Charlotte Berwind
Thanksgiving table no need to put the leaf in— scattered family
Sonnet for a Circle “Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace.” —Albert Schweitzer
* outdoor café a man in a tie-dye shirt orders a la carte
And praise the children for their smiles; so free, so easy in their dreams. And praise the sun for caring warmth, that feeds the dreams that see beyond; the shadows soon will come undone. And praise the soil we walk upon, the earth that suffers every step we take, yet holds us upright, gives us flowers full of mirth, and feeds us even when we’re getting old. And praise the time it takes for us to learn the things we learn; the knowledge that we keep will move us towards a life that we must earn, a life that never comes to those that sleep. And never look to gather praise, yet share the fragile graces gathered everywhere.
* a large tourist bus parks in front of the window blocking the fall view * through balcony blinds moonlight clings to the ocean— a lingering thought —Sari Grandstaff We’re Equidistant 7 miles home on bare feet I could see the trees and you were one. it was not your fault you’d been away it was just the fall calling its name and you beckoned me not to run.
—Meagan Towler
86 POETRY CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Instinct Do you remember the sunrise that Sunday morning in June? I do. I remember climbing through a hole In a thick wire fence, crossing the train tracks, And feeling Like the tallest wildflower, A bee sucking my nectar, preferring my flowers. Then there was another chain link fence. We put our arms on it and rested our chins on our hands, And watched the sun rise
—Corey Greenberg
Forgetting that it set. We were devoted to avoiding loneliness.
Goodbye
I was bliss. I felt the workings of a wave that would eventually crash in me
Delicate I walk away from every smiled conversation just a stitch more broken than before and I think why couldn’t we love this way when we shared long kisses under the covers of my bed?
—William J. Joel
I didn’t want to ride in the ambulance Or fill out the forms at the hospital I definitely didn’t want to see the body Everyone says it’s time to remember But all I want to do is forget… —John Kojak
And come out of my mouth, Replying to you. You bravely proved The miles between each letter without effort Because sometimes four letters Can make a circumference. —Jennifer Wise
Lucy From the Tree
A Symphony of Color
Hive
Lucy fell Like an apple. Choosing a branch too slender To sustain her, Tumbling from considerable Height, terrified, stretching Her arm as anyone would To break the fall. But the ground rose cruelly fast Jamming her arm Into the shoulder joint, The impact ripping Vital organs free “Death would have come quickly…”
She gazed around and her mind couldn’t help but think of Micro industries around luxury The used-up glamour of the stroll home Overwhelming abundance of fulfillment
I rented an apartment of bees that first year in Los Angeles sticky buzzing day and night stingers past the turn of knob
That was 3.8 million Years ago. Small as a child, Hiding from jungle beasts Among the branches at night, Wondering, perhaps, Where she was, and why, Beneath the bright moon And pale stars. Leaving behind what seemed Just a scatter of bones That once recognized, Bore the signature Of an earliest direct forebear, Tooth and jaw. But the deeper We looked, the clearer It became that she was Not so different from us, A little “person” Living as best she could, Until a mishap sent her Tumbling to her demise, Leaving but tiny traces of herself But enough for us To feel the fear she must have felt As she fell, helpless In her life’s last moment, To the ancient earth. —James Lichtenberg
Blessing The dim light of heaven on the floor of my dark cave fills me with such sweet joy, knowing, as I gaze up into that eternal night, that my loved ones are there, happy and blessed, in that single distant star. —John Goodman
fractured memories Thoughts of possessions ravaged her spirit she saw herself eclipsed in the sunlight taken by nature by beauty, reality And she wept for it was good —Shanekia McIntosh
sunny day the bees hovering over body encircling you paranoid optimistic dreamer don’t leave the hive yes stay get stung camera rolling and action as in stasis as in days wrapped around you burning August blankets dripping lust for fame everyone plays the game gathering in droves to hot stove hands on surface level interaction as in in-
Inevitable Journey
action
Most answers are unknown purple transforms to lavender, but never back to blue
—James Croal Jackson
Yellow is sometimes the golden sun teaching wisdom other times, causing blindness I am caught in this steadily flowing stream not understanding how water can be pastel Glancing backward, but not wanting to return just let it flow, pull me Downward is somewhere I have never been but I will go without regard or resistance Better this way, just to accept And I do like the color of a very deep red It is my final color after seeing the rainbow and then being blinded by the sun
April Water Higher up, snow melts, flows down to waiting springtime, slithering and tumbling, racing and splashing, glistening and scattering, fills the ponds, the lakes, the rivers and, inadvertently, your cup. —John Grey
A very deep red burning me forever
I Wish
—Roger D. Anderson
“I wish”—a seed falls to the ground.
I feel like I left the oven on. like the ticking of the kitchen clock is counting down to some impending doom that I will never see coming. like the flutter in my womb. which I will never feel again. Will leave me for some god forsaken path like my own. Only to live Feeling like the oven is on. -anxiety —Stephanie Carter
Not much chance That it will land on fertile soil, Find water, reach sunlight. The substance of reality is hard. It is mostly rocks: “Impossible”, “Forbidden”, “Or else”. It is riddled with petrified bones: “I regret”, “I never”, “I always”. It is swarming with voracious mouths: “I should”, “I promised”, “I must”. “I wish”—a seed falls to the ground. Not much chance, But a chance nonetheless. May it take root: “I am”, May it send up a shoot: “I will”. —Yana Kane
Full submission guidelines: Chronogram.com/submissions 12/19 CHRONOGRAM POETRY 87
“PHOTOGRAPHY NOW” AT THE CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AT WOODSTOCK This year’s annual survey of the current state of photography at CPW is considered through the critical gaze of distinguished curators Maurice Berger and Marvin Heiferman, in the work of eight photographers exploring identity. Martha Díaz-Adam focuses on the cross-cultural. Maureen R. Drennan envisages a 1951 crosscountry journey taken by her stepfather. Nona Faustine digs into racial and gender stereotypes. Luther Konadu, Cynthia Bittengield, Sara Macel, Jean Sousa, and Derrick Woods-Morrow also contribute their distinctive takes on the parameters of personhood. Through January 19
Derrick Woods-Morrow, Frederick on Lake Pontchartrain | After Lincoln Beach, 2019
88 THE GUIDE CHRONOGRAM 12/19
the guide
December 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 December 2: Thurston Moore at Colony December 2-6: American Dharma at Time and Space Limited December 6: Poughkeepsie Celebration of Lights December 7: Winter Walk on Warren Street December 8: Newburgh Candlelight Tour of Homes December 12: “The Nutcracker” at the Bardavon December 13: Hark the Horns at the Avalon Lounge December 14: “A Christmas Carol” at the Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck December 15: Amy Helm’s Holiday Express in Arkville December 18: Emil Alzamora at BCB Art in Hudson December 21: Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night at ArtOmi December 22: Polar Express Train Ride in Kingston
For comprehensive calendar listings visit Chronogram.com/events. 12/19 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 89
You’re our readers. It’s your choice. Who gets the awards?
THE FIRST ANNUAL
Chronogrammies READERS CHOICE AWARDS
We’re thinking about everything from where to grab a bring-you-backto-life hangover brunch to the antique store where you found the Mid-Mod table that tied your living room together to the wedding venue that handled everything you needed for your big day.
Tell us what you love about the Hudson Valley. NOMINATIONS OPEN JANUARY 1 THROUGH FEBRUARY 29, 2020
chronogram.com/chronogrammies
90 THE GUIDE CHRONOGRAM 12/19
music
Spiritual Unity THURSTON MOORE AT COLONY December 2 Colonywoodstock.com
Photo by Vera Marmelo In the just-pre-Nirvana years and beyond, Sonic Youth defined the cutting-edge cool of underground DIY noise rock. Arising in 1980 from the Lower East Side’s postpunk waste-scape, the quartet took inspiration not only from the early waves of punk, but also from the often-dissonant art music of contemporary avantgarde composers, adapting the latter’s ideas to fit the format of a traditional four-piece rock band. Although the influential group split in 2011, founding guitaristvocalist Thurston Moore was active as a solo artist and in other musical settings outside of Sonic Youth before the breakup and remains so now. He answered the questions below via email. In support of his newest solo release, Spirit Counsel, Moore will perform at Colony in Woodstock on December 2 at 7pm. Devin Brahja Waldman will open. Tickets are $22-$25. Colonywoodstock.com. —Peter Aaron Spirit Counsel is described on your website as representing, among other things, “a period of reflection on spiritual matters.” One might say your music has always had a spiritual element running through it, at times perhaps more pronounced than at other times. How did it evolve and what pulled you in that direction? Writing and playing music has always been, for me personally, an engagement with spiritual life. So you are correct in the saying this is not such a new statement to make. But what distinguishes Spirit Counsel, as a collection of recent writing, is that I approached the presentation as a wordless sonic message of pure tonal/noise expression. The current demagogue “leaderships” of the USA, UK, Italy, Spain, and encroaching others have taken words and put them to the nefarious activity of despair, divisiveness, and degradation. I stripped out words and made the instruments the total sound. Picking up guitars and drums is not something I foresee these politicians having any wherewithal to co-opt. You gravitated toward New York in 1976 because of the early punk scene there and were especially attracted to no wave, the noisier, more avant-garde, and less obviously “rock ’n’ roll” tangent of the
scene. What was it about the no wave bands that you found so compelling and inspiring? I suppose I was always attracted to the subversive and the outlier. Seeing images of Lou Reed, Captain Beefheart, Iggy Pop, and cross-gender-signifying Wayne County and David Bowie resonated a thrill of “otherness” in me. I would see pictures many times before I would hear the actual music. I could only imagine what these artists would sound like and I would seek out the records, an adventurous exposition in the early 1970s. Luckily these records were discounted as they were very unpopular (mostly by the labels who deigned to release them, it seems). I would find surprises like Can’s Ege Bamyasi or the first Stooges LP in the cut-out bins for 49 cents! And they were like strange friends who were far more interesting than the kids in school. I loved them, and when realizing there were others with this same experience collecting around places like CBGB, I ran there. Of course, we all loved Patti Smith, Blondie, Richard Hell, et al, but when Lydia Lunch, James Chance, Arto Lindsay, Rudolph Grey, and the other no wave musicians, who existed concurrently with the 1976 class of ground-zero punk rock, began performing with their bands [with whom] any traditional concept of virtuosity was replaced with a completely original vision and heart, I was struck, though not initially, by their elemental brilliance. When Sonic Youth came together, this was what each of our sensibilities were in tangent with.
but it was always reigned in with “proper” finesse. I prefer bands who don’t necessarily play by the rules. At all. There came a point where, in criticism, bands would have “Sonic Youth” parts which invariably meant noise and distortion, which I felt to be a simplifying of our output, but I understood.
It’s been pointed out repeatedly how the music Sonic Youth made collectively and via its individual members has altered the course of contemporary music. Do you hear or detect the influence of your art in that of others? Do any especially humbling, flattering, or surprising examples of your music having resonated with other artists come to mind? At some point in the late 1980s and certainly into the 1990s I would hear, or it would be brought to my attention, the playing of bands utilizing inspirations of Sonic Youth. Yes, flattering, but always it was via a prism of transferring our approach, where alternate tunings and non-traditional chordings are primary, through more standardized technique. Sometimes I’d be alerted that Radiohead would have a “Sonic Youth” part in a song,
Given Spirit Counsel’s themes of reflection, what do you most hope will be the hallmarks of your legacy as an artist and what do you most hope people in the future get from hearing your music when they discover it? I don’t consider legacy so much these days, as it only reflects ego and self-importance and, like money, it is essentially worthless. I want to think of the future where we can continue to fight and resist the negative energies that seek power and mechanisms of control over organic life. I want to further explore and exhibit expressions of wonder, joy, and collective consciousness where we care for every living thing. This is the only way to make music, as far as I can see.
You’re well known as an obsessive music junkie and a ravenous record collector, and it made news across the blogs recently when you decided to sell off a large part of your collection. How hard was that? What are some of the records you let go of and what are some that you just couldn’t part with? How does it feel to be on the other side of that? (Asking for a friend.) I have always bought and sold records, for well over 30 years. The fact that I traded in about 300 LPs recently to World of Echo, a great, vinyl-only store in London, is a bit of a hype. It’s due to us deciding to put an actual provenance on that particular trade-in, so the “news” got out. As it is, I’ve unloaded thousands of LPs, mostly through Feeding Tube records in Florence, Massachusetts. And through Jack Tielman’s store in British Columbia, the Black Dot. I also plop records into the various Flashback stores in London. [Musicians] Mats Gustafsson, Jim O’Rourke, and I actually did a tour in Japan years back with records we made to trade with the amazing record stores there. We called our trio Discaholics Anonymous.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 91
holidays
Unsilent Night at ArtOmi
Winter Wonderland 2019 HOLIDAY ROUND-UP `Twas the holiday season, when all through the Hudson Valley, events were stirring, both annual and new. Whether you need a place to take the kids for a day out, a place to shop for some gifts, or a date night, there’s definitely something for you to fill your time with this season. Parades, fireworks, festivals, Santa’s village, light shows, markets, and train rides—the events this December will not disappoint you. Our guide to holiday events this season across the region should help you plan accordingly. Unsilent Night For the past three years, Hudson has been home to Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night, a promenade in which the audience becomes the performer, walking a carefully chosen route together while music plays from boomboxes and mobile devices. The New York Times describes the event like so: “During the procession, the sense of wonder spreads outward as onlookers are enveloped in a nebula of phosphorescent sound.” This year, on December 21 at 5:30pm Unsilent Night will play out on the grounds of the ArtOmi sculpture park in Ghent, with a walk among contemporary artworks and architectural pavilions. (A selection of Kline’s own boomboxes will be available to borrow on a first-come, first-served basis!) Omi.unsilentnight.com A Holiday on Huguenot Street Historic Huguenot Street celebrates both the rich history of New Paltz and the holiday spirit this month. On Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7, experience, free holiday concerts, a Cookie Walk, and special history tours with costumed actors playing Huguenot Street residents of yore. Saturday, head to the Soup and Stoop for a warm meal, and take pictures with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Sunday, you can visit the craft fair and museum shop to look for gifts, eat at the Christmas Cafe, take a horse-drawn wagon ride, and pet farm animals. Huguenotstreet.org Winter Walk on Warren Street Warren Street in Hudson will transform into a holiday wonderland out of a movie with the Winter Walk on December 7, from 5 to 8pm. Storefronts will be decorated, carolers will be singing, street performers will share their talents, Mr. and Mrs. Claus will spread Christmas cheer, and at night, fireworks will light up the sky over the Hudson River. Hudsonhall.org Sinterklaas in Rhinebeck The Dutch roots of Rhinebeck come out in its annual Sinterklass holiday celebration. Starting at 10am on December 7 the town will become the grounds for the Sinterklaas festival, featuring children’s workshops, dance, theater, music. The not-to-be missed event is the Children’s Starlight Parade, which features animated puppets that are two stories tall. Sinterklaashudsonvalley.com Kingston Snowflake Festival Whether or not snow is falling, Uptown Kingston’s Snowflake Festival will be in full force on December 6. Wall, North Front, John, and Fair streets will be full of holiday cheer and activities from 6 to 8pm, including performances, art exhibitions, and food. Live entertainers will be doing magic, juggling fire torches, caroling, and 92 THE GUIDE CHRONOGRAM 12/19
sculpting ice as stores open their doors to offer warm treats and drinks to visitors. Mr. and Mrs. Claus headline the night by lighting the tree, and arrive on an antique fire truck with the help of their elves. Kingstonuptown.org Poughkeepsie Celebration of Lights A partnership between the Bardavon and the City of Poughkeepsie, the 26th annual Celebration of Lights will be on December 6 at 6:30pm. Head over to downtown Poughkeepsie to watch the parade—including float replicas designed by Cocoon Theater director Andres San Millan—see the fireworks display, and then head to the Bardavon at 8pm to watch coming-of-age comedy The Sandlot. Bardavon.org Polar Express Train Ride All aboard the train to a journey into one of the most famous holiday children’s book and movie: the Polar Express. Weekends through December 28 you can ride the Polar Express with Catskill Mountain Railroad from the Westbrook Station in Kingston. Experience the book and movie brought to life while your ticket gets punched, you’re bought hot chocolate and cookies with carols, and are given the first gift of Christmas by Santa and his elves. Catskillmountainrailroad.com A Frosty Fest Although Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses is closed for the winter, a land of Christmas delight will appear on weekends through December 22. A Frosty Fest is a dedication to everything holiday themed—even treats. Walk through Candy Cane Lane, take a hayride through the lit-up Enchanted Forest, explore the Glistening Gardens and/or Frosty’s 3D Magical Adventure, and visit Santa in the Magical Mansion and North Pole. Afrostyfest.com Holiday Spirit Festival The Holiday Spirit Festival of Wappingers Falls is one of the Hudson Valley’s oldest recreations of Santa’s village in the North Pole. Calling itself the original, one-of-a-kind family holiday event, the Holiday Spirit Festival is open weekends through December 28. Explore and interact with the many attractions: the Legend of the Frost Fairies, Winter Wonderland, Enchanted Forest of Lights, Holiday Trains, Misfit Toy Hunt, Santa’s Chalet, Holiday Stage Show and Meet and Greet, and Peppermint Palace Sweets and Treats. Holidayspiritfestival.com Made in Kingston Kingston’s annual holiday craft fair, Made in Kingston, returns on December 5 from 3 to 8pm at the historic theater at BSP. In its seventh year, the fair is a showcase of the talents of the creative talents of Kingston. Over 50 vendors will be present, including Kingston Ceramics Studio, Hudson Valley Design Collective, Hudson Valley Silverworks, Toucan Hats, and Marysa Sacerdote Jewelry. There’ll also be food vendors, locally made beverages, and music and dance performances. Madeinkingstonny.com —Claudia Larsen
THEATER “It’s a Wonderful Life” Radio Play at Shadowland Stages
December 6–22 The all-time classic Christmas film gets the 1940s-style radio broadcast treatment at Shadowland this month. The story was adapted by Joe Landry, whose shows, such as “Reefer Madness,” “Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play,” “Eve & Co.,” “Beautiful, Hollywood Babylon,” and “Numb,” have been produced across the country. Bringing the idea to life is Executive Director Brendan Burke, who is in his 15th year of working with Shadowland Stages and has directed and/or produced over 80 shows. Shadowlandstages.org
DANCE “The Nutcracker”
December 12–15 A staple of the holiday season, “The Nutcracker” is performed by companies large and small all over the world, with the nefarious Mouse King vanquished again and again. This month, Catskill Ballet Theater and New Paltz Ballet Theater are staging their annual productions, with students and professionals performing side-by-side. Catskill Ballet Theater performs at UPAC in Kingston, December 13– 15, featuring guest artists from Dance Theatre of Harlem. In its 22nd season, the New Paltz Ballet Theater is codirected by Peter Naumann and Lisa Chalmers-Naumann and works with artists across the region. It features dancers from the New York City Ballet in its production at the Bardavon on December 12–13. Bardavon.org
CRAFT Atlas Winter Market in Newburgh
December 7–8 Atlas Studios in Newburgh is home to over 40 creatives making everything from furniture to handmade books. It’s also a cultural hub, hosting readings and concerts in its gallery space. For the second year, Atlas will be opening its doors for a holiday market, featuring regional jewelry, pottery, fabric goods, holiday wreaths and flowers, and farm-distilled spirits, including businesses such as Loopy Mango of Beacon, Old York Farm of Claverack, Beacon Bee, and Garny & Co of Sparrow Bush. Atlasnewburgh.com
SHELTER Newburgh Candlelight Tour of Homes
December 8 Newburgh is known for the historical significance of its original period homes as well as its revitalized new developments, and the Historical Society is sharing these architectural gems with the public in their Candlelight Tour of Homes. Thirteen seasonally decorated homes will be toured, featuring mansions, homes in rehab, new developments, period homes, and important landmarks of the city. newburghhistoricalsociety.com
For comprehensive calendar listings visit Chronogram.com/events.
art
THEATER “A Christmas Carol” at the Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck
December 6–22 Funny how a book about a miserly old man from the mid 19th century has become a holiday favorite of the stage and screen. Charles Dickens’s tale of the redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge returns for its 14th year at the Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck in an adaptation by Lou Trapani. Directed by Diana di Grandi, with music by Paul and JoAnne Schubert, the show features the fan-favorite regular actors of the Center. The final night of the show, December 22, will also serve as a fundraiser for the Center, with a sing-along, food, and special guest appearance by Santa. Centerforperformingarts.org
FILM American Dharma at Time and Space Limited in Hudson
Check for dates and times Errol Morris is an idiosyncratic filmmaker. His most challenging recent work has investigated men tangled up in epochal historic moments—Robert McNamara in The Fog of War (2003) and Donald Rumsfeld in The Unknown Known (2013)—in a one-on-one interview format. Morris has now turned his attention to political provocateur and one-time Trump svengali Stephen Bannon. Morris questions Bannon about his morals, his ideas on President Trump, and the films that have helped to shape his life. (Bannon’s favorite flick: 1949’s Twelve O’Clock High, starring Gregory Peck as a hard-as-nails general who must pull together a fighting crew with morale problems.) Timeandspace.org
PERFORMANCE Brain Storms at the Beverly Lounge in Kingston
January 1 Brain Storms is a six-hour spoken word and performance extravaganza featuring over 100 performers from all around the Hudson Valley. From 2 to 8pm, poets, writers, and musicians will all be center stage for the event, as well as willing audience members during an open mic session. Poet Bruce Weber produced the event based off of a similar event he ran in Manhattan from 19952019. He brought Brain Storms to Kingston to create opportunities for Hudson Valley artists. Brainstorms2020.wordpress.com
MUSIC Hark the Horns at Avalon Lounge in Catskill
December 13 The brass showcase of the season, Hark the Horns features three New York State brass bands from 8 to 11pm. Brass Queens of New York City are an all-female group, challenging the gender norms of the genre and playing classic hits by female artists. Brasskill is a play-everything-andanything brass band out of Hudson. Pontoon has a new sound to surprise audiences—using traditional instruments to create warped versions of what the genre is considered to be. Theavalonlounge.com —Claudia Larsen
For comprehensive calendar listings visit Chronogram.com/events.
Kevin Kuenster, Terra Erit Nobis Retro #2; The Earth Will Have Us Back, buon fresco painting, plaster on wood panel, 2019.
Small Is Beautiful KEVIN KUENSTER AT LIMNER GALLERY December 5-28 Slowart.com/limner Art is a gift that lives on and on—unlike, say, a bar of gourmet chocolate, which is lucky to last 20 minutes. That’s why many galleries hold a “small works” show in December, offering low cost art to gift-givers. One such showplace is the Limner Gallery in Hudson, which will present 76 pieces by 54 artists—drawings, sculpture, painting, photography and collage— beginning December 5. A wide variety of styles are on display: zany, bucolic, reptilian, conceptual, spontaneous, floral, cartoony, erotic. Nations represented are England, Pakistan, Nigeria, Denmark, Poland, Spain, Cuba, the US, and Japan. The only subject matter missing is Christmas and Santa Claus. Two of the most memorable paintings are by Red Hook artist Kevin Kuenster; both are titled Terra Erit Nobis Retro; The Earth Will Have Us Back. Each is an image of a child standing in high water. #1 depicts a boy being harried by four white doves. #2 shows a girl accompanied by three swans. Both pieces were created using the buon fresco method—a layer of thick plaster, then two coats of aged lime putty mixed with marble dust—on wood panels. “It’s an unforgiving medium, like watercolors, where you can’t take anything away—you can only add,” Kuenster observes. He has just five hours to paint each fresco, before the plaster hardens. Kuenster’s version of the fresco brings the venerable process into the 21st century. He first works out his composition on a computer, reverses it, print its out, and the lays the image face down on the plaster surface. When the printout is removed,
traces of the picture remain for Kuenster to use as guidelines. I did a double take after seeing the paintings the first time; I’d missed the political subtext until I read the titles. Young people standing in rising water, who aren’t dressed for swimming—the face of the girl in #2 is reminiscent of Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish activist who has come to symbolize the struggle against global warming. Eyes are central in Kuenster’s art. They contain entreaty, fear, but also a wordless confession. “Very often in Renaissance painting there’s a character staring at the viewer,” Kuenster observes. “I am always drawn to art that has that element.” In his spare time, Kuenster is a climate activist. All of the proceeds from his paintings at Limner will go to Extinction Rebellion, a direct-action group pushing governments to take action on climate change. Kuenster has been working in fresco since 2017. He stumbled upon the process while substitute teaching his son’s art class. Using a simplified method with plaster of Paris, the artist introduced the students to fresco. The piece he made as a sample was so pleasurable, he continued toying with the technique. The earliest frescoes date from Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty circa 2,500 BCE.The long history of this artform has its own message: Successive civilizations have risen and collapsed, each convinced of its mandate from the gods. Greater cultures than ours have fallen victim to greed and egotism. —Sparrow 12/19 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 93
ERNEST SHAW PHOTO DRAWINGS
THE NO-SELF SERIES
Saturdays 11-5 November through December Sponsored by The Center for Photography at Woodstock
ARTS CENTER&&SCULPTURE SCULPTURE GARDEN GARDEN ARTS CENTER
UNIS N UNIS
For info contact: ernestshaw179@icloud.com ernestshaw.net
94 THE GUIDE CHRONOGRAM 12/19
GIVE THE GIFT OF ART! Memberships & tickets = a holiday season no-brainer!
PERFORMANCES • WORKSHOPS SCULPTURE GARDEN • GALLERY Join or donate today: unisonarts.org
12/7 & 12/8: Craft Art & Design Fair 12/14: The Puppet People: Wizard of Oz
!
exhibits
An installation view of Richard Butler’s exhibition of paintings, “amoamasamat,” and Emil Alzamora’s exhibition of sculpture, “On the Royal Road,” at BCB Art in Hudson.
EMIL ALZAMORA AND RICHARD BUTLER AT BCB ART Two masters of figurative art are brought together for simultaneous exhibitions, each with its own title: “amoamasamat” for Butler and “On the Royal Road” for Alzamora. Dreams are the royal road to the unconscious, according to Freud, and the blindfolds on the women depicted in Alzamora’s ceramic busts are a metaphor for looking inward—“a rugged journey, a quest to give shape to our current turmoil, and a search for justice.” Butler (better known as the lead singer of the Psychedelic Furs) chose a title that runs together a Latin phrase meaning I love, you love, she/he loves. His paintings convey melancholia, anxiety, and anger in a manner hovering between representation and abstraction; a strategy that succeeds in transmitting human presence. Through January 20
ELISA PRITZKER AT QUEEN CITY 15
BARRY LE VA AT DIA:BEACON
GREY ZEIEN AT BUSTER LEVY GALLERY
At Queen City in Poughkeepsie, Elisa Pritzker is channeling the art of a lost indigenous people, the Selknam, of her native Argentina. In a time where valuative norms and truth itself are attacked daily, Pritzker interprets the visual language of shamanic objects to evoke “respect for the family, community, nature, and all cultures.” Working with a stripped-down pallet of red, black, and white, and the fundamental materials of wood, fiber, hair, and bone, she creates ritualistic devices to weave her benevolent spell in “Sagrado (Sacred).” December 6–28
“I do not make sculpture that consists of one thing.” Instead Barry Le Va creates “an unspecified situation.” Le Va, educated as an architect, is perhaps best known for his seemingly random but actually carefully planned scatter pieces: felt, aluminum bars, and ball bearings distributed on the floor. The viewer is tasked with moving around and through his work to make sense of it; or not. Le Va’s art can be quite dramatic—look for meat cleavers stuck in walls—or incredibly beautiful, like his waves of powder wafting daylight through one of Dia’s expansive galleries. Through November 9
“COLLECTIVE EXPEDITIONS” AT MUROFF-KOTLER GALLERY
“IN PURSUIT OF COLOR” AT THE LOCKWOOD GALLERY
Zeien is showing selected panel paintings that span a decade, realized in layer upon layer of acrylic; inspired by walls and billboards he has been photographing for years. The inspiration operates on the level of method rather than image. The works in “The Persistence of Memory” are abstract. “The painting on, scraping/ tearing off, re-layering and redacting builds up a plastic surface related to the worked over, torn-down, and replastered walls, and re-posted kiosks,” he says. The resulting variegated surface textures and surprising color juxtapositions are hypnotic. Be prepared to get lost in them. December 7-29
Looking back in order to look forward is the modus operandi of the International Society of Antiquaries, a league of five artists: Sarah Potter, Kyle Cottier, Olivia Baldwin, Elisa Pritzker, and Greg Slick. Their show at SUNY Ulster’s Muroff-Kotler has works on paper, painting, sculpture, and installation speaking “to the importance of understanding our past in order to comprehend who we are as a species.” Slick’s small stone sculptures with primal drawings pecked into their surfaces—looking like finds from a particularly successful archeological dig—are a good place to begin your visit. Through December 13
Curator Alan Goolman’s palpable enthusiasm for color is on full display in this group show of 24 mid-career artists from New York City and the Hudson Valley in Kingston. Among the highlights are Andrew Lyght’s Painting Structure, an abstraction dominated by an orange octangle marked with the artist’s signature glyphs; David Provan’s ink and watercolor meditation in muted rainbow colors somehow channeling Klee and Delauney simultaneously; and an oil-on-paper work by Angela Voulgarelis conjuring up the head and shoulders of a blue figure against golden yellow, who seems to return your gaze. Through January 4
JAMES MCELHINNEY AT THE HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM The ubiquitous cell phone camera has made photographs of scenic vistas way too simple. Point. Click. Forget. Many of us have gazillions of shots of the Hudson we never revisit. McElhinney’s exhibition “Discover the Hudson Anew” offers an antidote: Instead of a smartphone, he uses watercolors and a pocket-sized notebook to record the beauty he sees along our river’s banks. It takes more time, but the experience goes deeper by engaging mindfulness in the process. Ample evidence is on view in this exhibition of McElhinney’s Hudson River notebooks. Through February 16
12/19 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 95
exhibits BARBARA MASTERSON AT THE BROADMAN ROAD BRANCH LIBRARY A new series of large monochrome drawings by Barbara Masterson on view at Broadman Road Branch Library in Poughkeepsie, “Beyond the Harvest,” continues her engagement with migrant workers here in the Hudson Valley. Eschewing her paints and color, she used a new tool, Wolff pencils, to focus on her favorite workers among those she has painted for many years. In one of these 20-by-30-inch works, she uses exaggerated foreshortening to emphasize the folded hands of her friend Botti, which, along with the subtle shading and sharp detail of her rendering, communicates a profound sense of mutual respect between the artist and her model. Through January 6
Barbara Masterson, Botti, pencil on illustration board, 2019. 11 JANE STREET ART CENTER
BEACON ARTIST UNION
“In the Shallows.” Robert Hite sculptures. Through November 17.
“Collapsed Time.” Recent work by Joel Werring and Pamela Zaremba. Through November 3.
11 JANE STREET, SAUGERTIES
AARON REZNY STUDIO AT 76 PRINCE STREET 76 PRINCE STREET, KINGSTON
“Ernest Shaw: Photo Drawings.” Through December 30.
ALBERT SHAHINIAN FINE ART GALLERY
22 EAST MARKET STREET SUITE 301, RHINEBECK “Christie Scheele: Atlas Project/Forms of Water.” A major solo installation of paintings, monotypes, and collages that explore this artist’s visual integration of self, art, and the climate crisis. Through December 1.
506 MAIN STREET, BEACON
BEEKMAN LIBRARY
11 TOWN CENTER BLVD, HOPEWELL JUNCTION “Hudson Valley Nature Photography: Rails, Trails, & Vistas.” The exhibition will feature over 20 works on both metal and paper by Susan Bores. Through November 14.
BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN
5 WEST STOCKBRIDGE ROAD, STOCKBRIDGE, MA
FRANCES LEHMAN LOEB ART CENTER AT VASSAR COLLEGE 124 RAYMOND AVENUE, POUGHKEEPSIE
“Shape of Light: Defining Photographs.” Featuring large-scale works. Through December 15.
GARDINER LIBRARY
133 FARMER’S TURNPIKE, GARDINER “Michael Gold: American Flag Photographs.” November 10-December 28. Opening reception November 10, 1pm.
GARRISON ART CENTER
“Cynthia Wick: The Shape of Color.” Through December 1.
23 GARRISON’S LANDING, GARRISON
BOSCOBEL
1601 ROUTE 9D (BEAR MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY), GARRISON BOSCOBEL.ORG.
“Method for Proceeding.” Henry Klimowicz. Klimowitz transforms cardboard into exotic and beautiful sculptural forms. Through November 10. “Holiday Pottery Show & Sale.” November 22-Decemebr 1.
“Cross-pollination: An Evolution in Foliate Forms.” Through November 3.
TREAMINE GALLERY AT THE HOTCHKISS SCHOOL
696 DUTCHESS TURNPIKE, POUGHKEEPSIE
DIA:BEACON
“Dutchess Handmade Pop-Up Shop.” Locally made glass, jewelry, greeting cards, textiles, ceramics, wood, products, prints, paintings, home, decorating items and more. November 1-December 21.
3 BEEKMAN STREET, BEACON
“Flat File: Works on Paper by Cleve Gray.” Through January 12, 2020.
“Barry Le Va: Horizontally Dispersed Sculptures.” Long-term view.
HUDSON BEACH GLASS GALLERY
DUCK POND GALLERY
128 CANAL STREET, PORT EWEN
“Microcosm. Drawing and sculpture exhibit by Tanja Bos.” Through November 3.
“My Hearts Desire.” Mixed media by Ginny Ballard. Through November 29.
HUDSON HALL
ART OMI
1405 COUNTY ROUTE 22, GHENT “Statues.” An exhibition of work by Francesca DiMattio. Through January 5, 2020.
ARTS MID-HUDSON
ASK GALLERY
97 BROADWAY, KINGSTON “Exactly Different.” Figurative sculpture. November 2-30. Opening reception November 2, 5-8pm.
ATHENS CULTURAL CENTER 24 SECOND STREET, ATHENS
“Homely.” Video, performance, and poetry. Through November 24.
BARRETT ART CENTER
55 NOXON STREET, POUGHKEEPSIE “New Directions 2019: 35th Annual National Juried Contemporary Art Exhibition.” Juror: Akili Tommasino, Associate Curator, Modern & Contemporary Art, Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Through November 9.
11 INTERLAKEN ROAD, LAKEVILLE, CT
162 MAIN STREET, BEACON
327 WARREN STREET, HUDSON
“A Little Relief: Linoleum and Woodblock Exhibit.” Works by Gina Palmer. November 1-30.
“Photo + Synthesis: 2019 LightField Arts Exhibitof Visual Art.” New commissions of landscape photography, nineteenth century oil paintings, and a special data visualization piece about tree ring science. Through December 21.
EMERGE GALLERY
HUDSON RIVER MARITIME MUSEUM
“Petit: A Group Exhibition of Smaller-Sized Art.” November 2-December 1. Works by Gina Palmer. November 1-30.
“Rescuing the River: 50 Years of Environmental Activism on the Hudson.” Through January 1, 2021.
EAST FISHKILL COMMUNITY LIBRARY 348 ROUTE 376, HOPEWELL JUNCTION
288 MAIN STREET, SAUGERTIES 226-2145.
50 RONDOUT LANDING, KINGSTON
HUDSON VALLEY MOCA
1701 MAIN STREET, PEEKSKILL “How We Live.” Through July 19, 2020.
96 THE GUIDE CHRONOGRAM 12/19
exhibits ZOË SHEEHAN SALDAÑA AT THE ALDRICH MUSEUM Why would an artist make an edition of 500 perfect replicas of a wooden match—from scratch, starting with cutting down a tree— given the fact that utilizing the art for its original purpose would cause it to go up in flames? Sheehan Saldaña’s match and approximately 50 other question-inducing works are on view at the Aldrich, where she reveals herself to be the master of the ready-remade. Beyond clever, her work touches on the anxiety implicit in the matter-of-factness of everyday objects in “There Must Be Some Way Out of Here.” Through May 17
Zoë Sheehan Saldaña, Life Jackets, 2008-09. JOHN DAVIS GALLERY
362 1/2 WARREN STREET, HUDSON
MURROFF KOTLER VISUAL ARTS GALLERY AT SUNY ULSTER
“Claude Carone: Paintings.” Through December 1.
491 COTTEKILL ROAD, STONE RIDGE
JOYCE GOLDSTEIN GALLERY
“Collective Expeditions Art Exhibition.” Olivia Baldwin, Kyle Cottier, Sarah Potter, Elisa Pritzger and Greg Slick. Through December 13.
19 CENTRAL SQUARE, CHATHAM “Animals As Muse.” Through November 16.
KAPLAN HALL, MINDY ROSS GALLERY
THE CORNER OF GRAND & FIRST STREETS, NEWBURGH “Orange County: A Celebration of Its Culture, Land, and People.” Juried show by the Hudson Highlands Photography Club & Workshop. Through November 22.
OLIVE FREE LIBRARY
4033 ROUTE 28A, WEST SHOKAN “Requiem for Ashokan, The Story Told in Landscape.” Paintings by Kate McLoughlin. November 16-January 4. Opening reception November 16, 2pm-4pm.
ORANGE HALL GALLEY, SUNY ORANGE
THOMAS COLE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE 218 SPRING STREET, CATSKILL
“Shi Guorui: Ab/Sense-Pre/Sense.” Landscape photographs. Through December 1.
THOMPSON GIROUX GALLERY 57 MAIN STREET, CHATHAM
“Feinberg Giroux Parker Thielen.” Works by Jean Feinberg, Marie-Claude Giroux, Kingsley Parker, and Beth Thielen. Through November 17.
TIVOLI ARTISTS GALLERY 60 BROADWAY, TIVOLI
24 GRANDVIEW AVENUE, MIDDLETOWN
“Melissa Katzman Braggins + Ted Braggins: Ink and Paper and Ceramics.” Through November 17.
LIMNER GALLERY
“Hudson Valley Plein Air Festival.” Juried exhibition. Through November 25.
UNISON
“The Show of Heads.” In this exhibition, 27 contemporary artists. present works based on and inspired by the human head. Through November 9.
QUEEN CITY 15
123 WARREN STREET, HUDSON
LOCAL ARTISAN BAKERY
448 BROADWAY, KINGSTON, NEW YORK “Pop-Up Exhibition.” Featuring: Amanda Light, Kasmira Demyan, Not Just Rainbows (Logan Lapointe), Nicole Saunders, and Rita Bolla. November 2-December 30. Opening reception November 2, 4pm-7pm.
MANITOGA/THE RUSSEL WRIGHT DESIGN CENTER 584 NY-9D, GARRISON
“Michele Oka Doner: Close Your Physical Eye.” Through November 11.
MARK GRUBER GALLERY
NEW PALTZ PLAZA, NEW PALTZ “43rd Annual Holiday Salon Show.” November 16-January 1. Opening reception November 16, 5pm-7pm.
MILLBROOK LIBRARY
3 FRIENDLY LANE, MILLBROOK “5 Death Row Portraits.” Paintings by Peter Chaplin. Through November 30.
317 MAIN STREET, POUGHKEEPSIE “From Memory: Paola Bari and Carl Grauer.” November 1-30.
SAMUEL DORSKY MUSEUM OF ART 1 HAWK DRIVE, SUNY NEW PALTZ
“Madness in Vegetables: Hudson Valley Artists 2019.” Through December 8. “Tonalism: Pathway from the Hudson River River School to Modern Art.” Through December 8. “The Ukiyo-e Movement: Gems from the Dorksy Museum Collection of Japanese Woodblock Prints.” Through December 8. “Paper Media: Boetti, Calzolari, Kounelis.” Through December 8.
THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA 1946 CAMPUS DRIVE, HYDE PARK
“State of Ate: New York’s History Through 8 Ingredients.” Through December 31.
THE STEWART HOUSE
2 NORTH WATER STREET, ATHENS “Without a Sail Without an Oar.” Works by Rosemary Barrett. November 8-30.
68 MOUNTAIN REST ROAD, NEW PALTZ “Composed to Decompose.” Through July 31, 2020.
WILLIAMS COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
15 LAWRENCE HALL DRIVE, WILLIAMSTOWN, MA “Michael Rakoeitz: The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist [Room Z, Northwest Palace of Nimrud].” Through April 19, 2020.
WIRED GALLERY
11 MOHONK ROAD, HIGH FALLS “Reflection.” Featuring works by Scott Michael Ackerman, Michelle Biondolillo-Keessen, Josephine Bloodgood, Damon, Fran Goodwin, Beth Humphrey, Victoria Kari, Sandra Nystrom, Joanne Pagano-Weber, Fran Sutherland, Lynne Tobin, Carl Van Brunt, and Dion Yannatos. November 1-24.
WOODSTOCK ARTISTS ASSOCIATION AND MUSEUM 28 TINKER STREET, WOODSTOCK
“Material World.” Through November 24. “Kate Collyer: To Last Frontiers.” Through November 24. “Associate Members Small Works.” Through November 24. “An Artistic Legacy: 1 + 1 + 1.” Through December 29.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 97
TOP 100 OF 2019
VOTE FOR YOUR TOP 5 SONGS OF THE YEAR
AT RADIOWOODSTOCK.COM
CALIFORNIA ORGANIC FARMING
Stamell
Stringed Instruments
JOIN US FOR OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY SALE UP T0 20% OFF MUSICAL ACCESSORIES, INSTRUMENT CASES, STRINGS, AND SHEET MUSIC.
Rosendale, NY 1 2472 | 845.658.8989 | rosendaletheatre.org SATURDAY: SNOW BALL 12/14,
Sunday Silents: SILENT FILM SHORTS OF LAUREL & HARDY SUNDAY 12/1, 2pm. $6.
BECOMING NOBODY TUESDAY 12/3 + WEDNESDAY 12/4, 7:15pm
SHOP with us 98 THE GUIDE CHRONOGRAM 12/19
HELP SUPPORT A VIBRANT POUGHKEEPSIE! 7 GARDEN STREET DOWNTOWN POUGHKEEPSIE NY (845) 337 3030 WWW.STAMELLSTRING.COM
7-11pm, $100. Cocktails, Small plates, Dancing-Soul Purpose, www.rosendaletheatre.com
PAIN & GLORY FRIDAY 12/6 – MONDAY
Dharma Film Series: UNMISTAKEN CHILD SUNDAY 12/17, Q&A with Ani Depa, Kagyu Thubten Choling. $10/$8, 3pm
Dance Film Sunday: Matthew Bourne’s CINDERELLA SUN 12/8, $12/$10/$6, 2pm HARRIET FRI 12/13 – MON 12/16 + THUR
Music Fan Film: SAY AMEN WEDNESDAY 12/18, 7:15pm
Free at Frozendale: AN AMERICAN SATURDAY 12/14, 11am.
Great Art on Screen: TINTORETTO: A REBEL IN VENICE SUN 12/29, 2pm, $15/$12
12/9 + THURSDAY 12/12, 7:15pm. $6 matinees at 1pm on WED + THUR
12/19, 7:15pm. 1pm on WED + THUR
TAIL
SOMEBODY
42ND STREET: THE MUSICAL SUNDAY 12/22 , 2pm. $12/$10
live music
Crooked Still plays The Egg on December 11.
C.J. CHENIER & THE RED HOT LOUISIANA BAND
CROOKED STILL
AMY HELM’S HOLIDAY EXPRESS
December 5. C.J. Chenier, the son of the late, great zydeco king Clifton Chenier, has kept his father’s legacy boiling and furthered the form by weaving his own formative soul, funk, and jazz influences into the music. A master of accordion, saxophone, and flute, the ebullient “Crown Prince of Zydeco,” who tips into the Towne Crier for this torrid reappearance, has also crossed over into the pop realm, performing and touring with Paul Simon for the singer’s 1990 album The Rhythm of the Saints and guesting on the Gin Blossoms’ 1992 Top 40 release New Miserable Experience. A bayou-style dance party this shall be. (Livingston Taylor looms December 13; Slam Allen and Dan Bother ring in the new year December 31.) 7pm. $30, $35. Beacon. Townecrier.com
December 11. Boston-based bluegrass revisionists Crooked Still raised eyebrows on the roots circuit in the early 2000s with their cello-banjo-upright bass-fiddle format and the sneaky-but-tasteful touches of such nontrad, outside styles as rock, pop, and even funk. Some of the group’s members have also found fame apart from the unit: singer Aoife O’Donovan as a solo artist and with folk-noir trio Sometimes Why; banjoist Gregory Liszt with Bruce Springsteen’s The Seger Sessions project; and fiddler Brittany Haas on NPR’s “Live from Here.” Although the band officially split in 2011, the players have reunited on rare occasions—such as a string of shows this month that includes an evening at the Egg. (Darlingside drops in December 7; Keb’ Mo’ comes by December 10.) 7:30pm. $35, $45. Albany. Theegg.org
December 15. Here’s a hot seasonal live-music pick: All aboard Amy Helm’s Holiday Express (aka the Dutchess & Ulster Railroad’s Rip Van Winkle Flyer), bound for beautiful and breathtaking winter vistas of the Catskill Mountains and featuring an intimate holiday performance by the region’s roots-Americana heiress. This family-friendly excursion (two separate afternoon tours) won’t have the drunken revelry that marked Amy’s dad Levon Helm and his Band buddies’ jaunt across Canada with the Festival Express train tour in 1970. But one would guess there’ll be a heartwarming rendition or two of the Band’s “Christmas (Must Be Tonight).” 1:30pm, 4:30pm. $100 adults, $15 children. Departs from and returns to Arkville Station. Arkville. Durr.org
XYLOURIS WHITE
JANE IRA BLOOM
December 20. This one’s definitely not your typical holiday fare. For the second consecutive year, blazing saxophonist Mars Williams (Psychedelic Furs, the Waitresses) will lead a handpicked group of his fellow forward-thinking veteran players at Tubby’s through a holiday tribute to the influential free jazz pioneer Albert Ayler. In the lineup are drummer Chris Corsano, trombonist Steve Swell, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, guitarist Tedd Orr, and alto saxophonist and clarinetist Don Davis. Spiritual unity, indeed. (Luggage lands December 4; Sun Voyager, Ecstatic Vision, and It’s Not Night: It’s Space trip out December 19.) 8pm. $10. Kingston. Tubbyskingston.com
December 6. Formed in 2013, the duo of lauto player George Xylouris and drummer Jim White (Dirty Three, Cat Power) makes gripping instrumental sounds that fuse free jazz, avant rock, and Greek traditional music. “The music hit points, rather than destinations,” writes The Guardian’s Monica Tan, “with slinky, playful intros and delicate musical motifs building in intensity and coming galloping home in a barrage of drums and hard strumming.” The pair pays a return visit to the Hudson Valley with this night at the Beverly Lounge (part of the occasional “BSP at the Beverly” series) in support of their third album, 2018’s Mother. With Cheval Sombre. (The String Sessions with m. Sel and the Hipstones unwind December 7.) 7:30pm. $12, $15. Kingston. (845) Thebeverlylounge.com
December 14. Soprano saxophonist and composer Jane Ira Bloom’s music lives comfortably in the zone where straight-ahead and experimental jazz meet. Sonically lush and rarely dissonant, her approach is marked by innovative constructs with unexpected turns and has at times included forays into electronics. Her Early Americans Trio, which here visits the swank, recently opened Avalon Lounge, includes two other adventurous musicians and bandleaders, local drummer Bobby Previte and bassist Mark Helias, and won a Grammy for 2018’s Early Americans in the Best Surround Sound Album category. (Blakmajikforest, the Bilge Rats, and the Wheel Turning Kings roll through December 6; Shana Falana shimmers December 7.) 8:30pm. $10. Catskill. Theavalonlounge.com
AN AYLER XMAS
12/19 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 99
Horoscopes By Lorelai Kude
THE WIND-UP AND THEN THE PITCH Now that the year is almost over, the truth can be told: 2019 was the wind-up; 2020 is the pitch. The global implications of the upcoming conjunction of Saturn and Pluto in January, the overarching societal changes signaled by the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction next December, the three “Giant Power” conjunctions of Jupiter to Pluto between April and November 2020, and everything in between is what this year’s Game of Life has prepared us for. December 2019 is our last home game before the road trip that is 2020! Jupiter enters Capricorn December 2 after spending a year partying and blowing things up in his own home sign of Sagittarius. We’ve had plenty of enthusiasm and inspiration, and more than a bit of a glorious mess. Jupiter in Capricorn is all about self-discipline, self-respect, hard work, focus, endurance, determination, ambition, and the will to succeed in our goals and aspirations. With Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn as well, the next year is sure to initiate manifestation of our collective dreams on a grand scale! What we don’t want to see is a manifestation of our collective nightmares, heaven forefend. Societal and seismological earthquakes are all possible when Erratic Uranus in stability-loving Taurus trines expansive Jupiter in earthy Capricorn December 15. Unexpected surprising changes are practically guaranteed. Mercury and the Sun in Sagittarius with the Full Moon in Gemini December 11 demands truth while Venus conjunct Saturn in Capricorn wonders if we can really handle the truth. The Winter Solstice December 21 is followed by a Solar Eclipse / New Moon in Capricorn on Christmas Day and the Sun’s conjunction to Jupiter December 27, super-sizing optimism based on a firm foundation of preparation, experience, patience, and wisdom. These are the greatest gifts we can take with us into the New Year of 2020.
INTEGR ATE YOUR LIFE I T ’ S
A
B A L A N C I N G
A C T
HOLISTIC NURSE HEALTH CONSULTANT
Manage Stress • Apprehensions • Pain • Improve Sleep Release Weight • Set Goals • Change Habits Pre/Post Surgery • Fertility • Hypno Birthing Immune System Enhancement • Nutritional Counseling Past Life Regression • Intuitive Counseling Motivational & Spiritual Guidance
Breathe • Be Mindful • Let Go • Flow
H Y P N O S I S - C OAC H I N G Kary Broffman, R.N., C.H. 845-876-6753 • karybroffman.com
ARIES (March 20–April 19) Mars, your ruling planet in his nocturnal home of Scorpio all month, enhances your power and personal magnetism. This charisma peaks December 13 with the trine of Mars to Neptune in Pisces, making you nearly irresistible—but careful to use your power for good and never self-serving purposes. Mars makes a sextile to both Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn December 19–22, empowering you with the laser-like focus and organizational skills you need to work towards your long-term goals. Pursue the worthiest of your passions in a less-haphazard way by making a viable plan and sticking to it!
TAURUS (April 19–May 20)
GROUNDBREAKING CINEMA SINCE 1972
RHINEBECK SINCE 1972
(NEXT TO LIBERTY)
866 FILM NUT WOODSTOCK
132 TINKER ST
845 679 6608
BECOME A MEMBER GET OUR WEEKLY EMAIL UPSTATEFILMS.ORG COME SEE SOME 100 HOROSCOPES CHRONOGRAM 12/19
Planetary ruler Venus in practical, prosperous Capricorn through December 20 is a recipe for expensive gifts, with the understanding that beauty without useful functionality isn’t worth the investment. The same might be said of you this month, as you test your own relevance and sharpen your skill set between December 3 and 9. Venus in rebellious, counterculture Aquarius square erratic, unpredictable Uranus in Taurus December 22: Might you bring someone unusual and completely different home for the holidays? Yet this unique attraction suddenly makes perfect sense by Christmas Eve, when cozy earthy Capricorn Sun trine Uranus yields weird delights. A practicing, professional astrologer for over 30 years, Lorelai Kude can be reached for questions and personal consultations via email (lorelaikude@yahoo.com) and her Kabbalah-flavored website is Astrolojew.com
Horoscopes
Peace of Mind.Plan.
GEMINI (May 20–June 21) Mercury, your ruling planet, enters optimistic, buoyant, self-confident Sagittarius December 9, making you even more open-minded than usual, if that’s even possible. In fact, your mind will be so open it’ll be almost closed by the Full Moon in Gemini December 11! Mercury in truth-telling Sagittarius square nebulous Neptune in Pisces December 20 may set off the fire alarm because some liar’s pants are on fire. Make sure those aren’t your pants. Mercury enters sensible-and-sober Capricorn December 29, saving you from amusing yourself with temporary segues into extremism and wrestling matches with the near-irresistible urge to exaggerate.
THIRD EYE ASSOCIATES
TM
Life • Planning • Solutions ®
®
®
CANCER (June 21–July 22) You are very comfortable and cozy with the First Quarter Moon in Pisces December 3 and a sweet, secure, Earthsign sextile between Venus in Capricorn and Mars in Taurus. All that Earth demands structure, and you need to flow: Full Moon in Gemini December asks you to weigh the burdens you carry to protect yourself against the value you place on being the Truest You. The Last Quarter Moon in Virgo December 18 demands you separate from what no longer serves. The Solar Eclipse / New Moon in Capricorn on Christmas Day illuminates a new vision for your future.
LEO (July 22–August 23) Sun in Sagittarius through December 20 is usually a favorite time of year for Leo, but Jupiter in Capricorn from December 2 onward and the Solar Eclipse / New Moon in Capricorn on Christmas Day made December a month with more seriousness than frivolity for you this year. Responsibilities seem more significant than usual, and though you’re always the designated driver anyway because, as everybody knows, you’re the boss, now you’ve morphed into The Responsiblizer. If that wasn’t already a word, you’ve made it one. Relief comes at the Sun-Jupiter conjunction December 27, when duty is revealed as wisdom.
VIRGO (August 23–September 23) Ruling planet Mercury recovers from the shadow of his post-retrograde in Scorpio by December 7, moving into bluntly prophetic Sagittarius December 9. Say what you mean and mean what you say, now more than ever! You are well able to discern truth from wild exaggeration by the Last Quarter Moon in Virgo December 18. You may wonder if you’re trying to gaslight yourself when the Mercury-Neptune square of December 20 attempts to test your faith in your own perceptions. Trust what you know is true! Doubt is vanquished and stability is regained when Mercury enters sober Capricorn December 28.
LIBRA (September 23–October 23) You’re tempted by luxury but tempered by social justice during ruling planet Venus’s transit through materialistic Capricorn until December 19. Home becomes your haven but you’re not a hermit. Intimate, trusted friends are like jewels in your crown; collect them around your head and they will radiate warmth and sparkle with their good advice and true care for your well-being. Take that seriously and with gratitude, especially around December 11’s Full Moon in Gemini, which reveals both the faithful and the fickle. Venus enters iconoclastic Aquarius December 20: Permission granted to meet and mingle with the weird and wonderful!
JOY IS AN
OPTION OPTIMIze YOur well-beINg TherAPY INdIvIduAl cOuPles fAMIlY NuTrITION AYurvedIcAllY TrAINed YOgA krIPAlu cerTIfIed
cAssANdrA currIe Ms, rYT fOr APPOINTMeNTs 845 532 7796 AT MY OffIce Or YOur hOMe
All MOveMeNT MATTers
TrIPlePlAY.cAssANdrA@gMAIl.cOM
www.hOlIsTIccAssANdrA.cOM
12/19 CHRONOGRAM HOROSCOPES 101
Horoscopes
SCORPIO (October 23–November 21) Mars in your powerful sign all month supercharges your energy supply, tops off your tank, and propels you like the rushing rapids down a mighty river towards goals you’ve struggled to reach all year. The exhaustion and overwhelmingness are kicked to the curb and you’re even blessed with transcendent intimate connection when Mars in Scorpio trines Neptune in Pisces December 13. Mars sextiles Saturn in determined Capricorn December 19 and powerful Pluto December 22, doubling down on the passion that drives you and illuminates your inner fire. Attack each opportunity fiercely: Be bold with your desires, play to win!
SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 22) Self-control and self-respect. These are the lessons Jupiter comes to teach come December 1, when he moves from Sagittarius to Capricorn. The party’s over and who is going to clean up the mess? If you’ve cleaned as you went along for the last 13 months, it won’t take you any time at all to adjust to Jupiter in Capricorn’s firm hand and disciplined, sensible guidance. If you haven’t, the New Moon/Solar Eclipse in Capricorn on Christmas Day followed by the Sun’s conjunction to Jupiter December 27 gives you a time portal to slip through. Rewind and repair!
CAPRICORN (December 22–January 20) Jupiter enters Capricorn December 2, expanding your endurance, self-discipline, and ability to plan for long-range goals. You may be kissed by the muse December 11 with the conjunction of creative Venus to Saturn combined at the Full Moon in Gemini. Her gift is creative vision and the power of inspiration: your ability to transmit that vision to others. Sun enters Capricorn at the Winter Solstice December 21, a Solar Eclipse / New Moon in Capricorn Christmas Day reveals special gifts these recent times have left for you: patience, endurance, strength, faith, and equanimity. Rejoice in them and be glad!
AQUARIUS (January 20–February 19) This month begins the journey of classical ruler Saturn traveling through the rest of Capricorn on his way to meeting up with Jupiter in Aquarius next December. During the year to come you will feel Saturn’s fingers rifling through your subconscious / unconscious mind, sorting through mental and emotional drawers you’ve had locked away forever: a year-long deep transformative deep cleaning / remodel. This month: Stage 1. Commit to being brave enough to look at everything you’ve been hiding from yourself when Venus enters Aquarius December 20. Strengthen yourself emotionally December 28–29 with a little help from your friends.
PISCES (February 20-March 19)
Follow us for more arts, culture, and spirit.
instagram.com/chronogram
102 HOROSCOPES CHRONOGRAM 12/19
First Quarter Moon in Pisces December 3 invites fantasies, but careful what you wish for. You’re walking a fine line this month between two Sagittarius squares to ruling planet Neptune in Pisces: the Sun December 8, and Mercury December 20. Exaggeration, hyperbole, illusion, and distortion have RSVP’d and expect a seat at the table. It will take all your magical powers to divert them elsewhere. Do not serve them attention, their favorite nutrient! Classical ruler Jupiter in Capricorn trine Uranus in Taurus December 15, chase delusions away! Call on common sense for a reality check especially around December 27.
Ad Index
Our advertisements are a catalog of distinctive local experiences. Please support the fantastic businesses that make Chronogram possible.
11 Jane Street Art Center . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Gunk Haus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Red Hook Curry House . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
The Abode of the Message . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Harney & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Red Mannequin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Adams Fairacre Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School . . . . . . . 52
Redeemer New Paltz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Alora Laser Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
HCD, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Ridgeline Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Androgyny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
HV Phone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Rip Van Winkle Brewing Company . . . . . . . 58
Aqua Jet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Heritage Food and Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Herwood Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
River Mint Finery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Arrowood Farm Brewery . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Asia Barong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Historic Huguenot Street . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
B-Side Grill & Burrito Burrito . . . . . . . . . . 30
Holistic Natural Medicine: Integrative Healing Arts . . . . . . . . . . . 46
The Bakery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Bardavon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Baright Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41, 42 Binnewater/Leisure Time Spring Water . . . . . 32 Bistro To Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Bliss Kitchen & Wellness Center . . . . . . . . 30 Bop to Tottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Buns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Cabinet Designers, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Cafe Mio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Cassandra Currie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Catskill Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Catskill Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Catskill Merchant Group . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Catskill Public Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Catskill Wheelhouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Hudson Clothier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 The Hudson Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Rocket Number Nine Records . . . . . . . . . 84 Rockland County Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 The Rodney Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 The Roost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Rosendale Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Hudson Hills Montessori School . . . . . . . . 52
Runa Bistro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Hudson River Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Salix Intimates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Hudson Valley Distillers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Schneider’s Jewelers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Hudson Valley Goldsmith . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
School of Practical Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . 8
Hummingbird Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Staatsburgh State Historic Site . . . . . . . . . 22
Imperial Guitar & Soundworks . . . . . . . . . 84
Stamell String Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Ingrained Building Concepts . . . . . . . . . . 41
Stewart House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
J McManus & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Sunflower Natural Food Market . . . . . . . . . 13
Jack’s Meats & Deli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
SUNY New Paltz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jacobowitz & Gubits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Table Talk Diner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
John A Alvarez and Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Third Eye Associates Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . 101
John Carroll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Kaatsbaan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Kary Broffman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
7
Transcend Dental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Tuthilltown Spirits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Unison Arts Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
The Center at Mariandale . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Kasuri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Center for Colonic Hydrotherapy & Wellness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Kingston Consignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Kol Hai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Circle W Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Kingston Uptown Business Association . . . . 100
Clarkson University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
l&m studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
CO. Rhinebeck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
La Conca D’oro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Columbia Memorial Health . . . . . . . . . . 7, 49
Liza Phillips Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
The Country Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Love Apple Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Crisp Architects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
The Luminous Heart Center . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Viridescent Floral Design . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Crystal Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Magic is Real . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Wallace and Feldman Insurance . . . . . . . . 82
Daryl’s House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Mahalo Gift Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
WAMC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
de Marchin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Majestic Hudson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Warren Kitchen & Cutlery . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Dental Office of Drs. Jeffrey & Maureen Viglielmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Marbled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
WDST 100.1 Radio Woodstock . . . . . . . . . 98
Margaretville Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop . . 58
Wild Earth Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Dia: Beacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Mark Gruber Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Wildfire Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Doane Stuart School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
The Masterpiece Massage, . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Dr. Ari Rosen - Stone Ridge Healing Arts . . . . 48
MidHudson Regional Hospital . inside back cover
Williams Lumber & Home Center . . . . . . . . inside front cover
Douglas Elliman Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . 36
Mohonk Mountain House . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Wimowe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Dreaming Goddess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Mother Earth’s Storehouse . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Win Morrison Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Ernest Shaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Mountain Laurel Waldorf School . . . . . . . . 52
Witt’s End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
The Falcon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Movement Pictures/Query Creative . . . . . . 82
Woodland Pond at New Paltz . . . . . . . . . .
Fall Kill Creative Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
My Cleaning Ladies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Fawn’s Leap Tattoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
The New York Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Fionn Reilly Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Woodstock Healing Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Nuvance Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . back cover
Fluff Alpaca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Original Vinyl Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
YMCA of Kingston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Friends of Beattie-Powers Place . . . . . . . . 58
The Pandorica Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Frisbee Insurance Agency . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Parish Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Frost Valley YMCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Pegasus Footwear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Fuchsia Tiki Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Pet Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Gadaleto’s Seafood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Peter Aaron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Gardens at Rhinebeck . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8
Poughkeepsie Day School . . . . . . . . . . . 14
additional mailing offices.
Glen Falls House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Pussyfoot Lodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Glenn’s Wood Sheds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Putnam County Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Green Cottage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Quattros Poultry Farm and Market . . . . . . . 22
5
Upstate Films . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Uptown Kingston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Valentina Custom Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Van Deusen House Antiques . . . . . . . . . . 23 Vanaver Caravan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Vegetalien . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 The Village Common . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
1
Chronogram December 2019 (ISSN 1940-1280) Chronogram is published monthly. Subscriptions: $100 per year by Luminary Publishing, Inc. 314 Wall Street, Kingston, NY 12401. Periodicals postage pending at Kingston, NY, and
Chronogram, 314 Wall Street, Kingston, NY 12401.
12/19 CHRONOGRAM AD INDEX 103
parting shot
104 PARTING SHOT CHRONOGRAM 12/19
An untitled photograph by Amanda Cabanillas In November, we reached out to readers via social media looking for creative street photography to feature in the magazine. Thanks to all those who submitted their work. One respondent was Amanda Cabanillas, who took the photo on this page of Energy Dance Group performing at the O+ Festival. Cabanillas, a Kingston resident, is a watershed researcher/conservationist by day and bartender (Tubby’s, the Beverly) by night who describes herself as “a fairly quiet, observant, person who once dreamed of being a professional photographer until student loans scared me away.” We’re happy Cabanillas didn’t throw her camera away and that she took the time to share her photos with us. Submit photography for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue: Email your 300-dpi photos to our creative director, David Perry, at dperry@chronogram.com.
Minor emergencies. Major attention. Less waiting.
Your experts in emergency care just got faster. When an emergency strikes, you want access to physicians who are board-certified in emergency medicine and backed by a full-service hospital, but what about the wait?
MID HUDSON REGIONAL HOSPITAL 1 Introducing the 30-Minutes-Or-Less E.R. Pledge
Now, when you visit the emergency rooms of HealthAlliance Hospital: Broadway Campus or MidHudson Regional Hospital, members of WMCHealth, you’ll be seen by a member of our care team within 30 minutes.
Read the 30-Minutes-Or-Less E.R. Pledge at WMCHealth.org/ER30 HealthAlliance Hospital 396 Broadway, Kingston 845.331.3131 HAHV.org MidHudson Regional Hospital 241 North Road, Poughkeepsie 845.483.5000 MidHudsonRegional.org
In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1.
WMCHealth.org
Susan K. Boolbol, MD, FACS Chief, Breast Surgery
HEALTH QUEST / VBMC 1
Breast cancer care near what matters most. Promise starts with a strong support system. The Dyson Breast Center offers the care you deserve, close to you, your family and everything that keeps you going. Led by Susan K. Boolbol, MD, FACS, board-certified and fellowship trained breast surgeon, we have everything needed to diagnose and treat your breast cancer. From 3D mammography and diagnostics to surgery, reconstruction and clinical trials, you get the specialized care you deserve, without leaving the Hudson Valley. To schedule an appointment at the Dyson Breast Center, call (845) 214-1840 or visit nuvancehealth.org/dysonbreastcenter to learn more. TTY / Accessibility: (800) 421-1220 Š Nuvance Health