Sullivan County Democrat 125th Anniversary by Sullivan County Democrat/Catskill-Delaware Publications

Dedication:

Celebrating

125 Years Serving Sullivan County

www.scdemocratonline.com VOL. CXXVI NO. 9 4 SECTIONS | 32 PAGES

SPECIAL 125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

5 Lower Main St., Callicoon has been the home of the Sullivan County Democrat since 1901. The twostory building has seen many renovations throughout the last 115 years, the latest being a new bluestone sidewalk in front of the building, which was finished last week. Sending a big “Thank You” to our readers and advertisers are, from the left: Joseph Abraham, Tracy Swendsen, Petra Duffy,

Published twice-weekly FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016 ONE DOLLAR

This 125th Anniversary edition is dedicated to the memory of my grandparents, Nellie and Fred Stabbert Sr. and my parents, Shirley and Fred Stabbert Jr. They have inspired me to continue a life’s journey which has been both meaningful and rewarding. My father’s dedication to his profession was steadfast and enduring and he gave me the opportunity to continue the work which he and his father had started. - The Publisher

Anthony Morgano, Elizabeth Finnegan, Michelle Reynolds, Carol Montana, Sandy Schrader, Autumn Schanil, Joanna Blanchard, Fred Stabbert III, Rosalie Mycka, Barbara Matos, Cecile Lamy, Ruth Huggler, Liz Tucker, April Spruill, Nyssa Calkin, Patricia Biedinger and Dan Hust. Please see pages 4-5A for a look at our entire staff.

Democrat turns the page on another year

early 8,332 editions have gone “to press” since the Sullivan County Democrat was founded on a late June day in 1891. The Democrat has endured nearly every kind of natural disaster, from floods to blizzards, droughts to hurricanes. But one thing has held true for the past 125 years – the Sullivan County Democrat has never missed a deadline. “We have come close a couple of times,” Fred Stabbert III, the current publisher of the newspaper and third generation of his family to have run the Democrat since 1927, said. “But we don’t plan on starting now.”

Celebrates 125 years of Community Journalism From the Great Flood of 1902, which took out the Cochecton Bridge across the Delaware to the Blizzard of ‘58, which belted Sullivan County with a 38-inch snowstorm, the Democrat has taken some of the biggest hits nature has had to offer – and still put ink to newsprint to deliver the news to its faithful readers. There were also the great floods of 1996 and 2006, both close calls for the Democrat office on Lower Main St., Callicoon. “We never had water in the

office, but we were surrounded by it a couple of times,” Stabbert laughed. And who could forget the blackout of August 14, 2006, a Thursday, and a deadline day for the twice-weekly Sullivan County Democrat. “I think we were down to the last page when the power went out,” Stabbert remembered. “I went up to my mother’s house to wait out the blackout. “All of a sudden I looked in the living room and a little night light was on,” he said. “My mother had turned off all

the lights in the house except for the nightlight. “I quickly ran back to the office, finished the page and we made our Friday publication date,” he said. Tribute to our staff “There have been so many dedicated and hard-working people who have made such a difference at the Democrat,” Stabbert said. “I’ll never forget Leota ‘Lee’ Hermann; she worked for us for more than 40 years.” Lee was the only employee to work for all three Freds – Sr., Jr. and the Third.

“When my daughter Laura started at the office, Lee told me it was about time to retire,” Stabbert III said. “Lee said she didn’t want to work for four generations of our family.” There was also office manager Jean Price, a 30-plus year employee, and business office helper Carol Wootan, who put in well over 30 years. “They were instrumental in the stability and growth of our newspaper,” he said. “They were so meticulous in everything they did. “And I would be remiss if I

did not mention Tom White, my first editor,” Stabbert said. “He was a literal genius and very strict. He would yell and scream but somehow we got the newspaper out every week. He really taught me a lot about newspapering. “And my favorite… has to be my Uncle Perk,” Stabbert said. “I started working with Perk at age 16 and he taught me how to run the presses and a lot about printing. “He and my father were very close and it was a sad day when he died on February 5, 1977,” he said. “Looking back, he really got me interested in the office.” PLEASE SEE HISTORY, 3A

Inside: Section

Who we are and how we started

Section

Meet our editors: past through present

B Section

C Section

A history of newspapers from our County Historian DEMOCRAT FILE PHOTO

The Stabberts: Sullivan County’s newspapering family

The Democrat office 116 years ago… Shown here is the original Sullivan County Democrat Office as it appeared in the summer of 1900. The posters in the window clearly indicate that Church Fairs and Community Picnics were the order of the day. A magnifying glass was used to determine the year 1900 on two of the posters. Fred German of Delaware Avenue, Callicoon is the young fellow shown at the left. He was a typesetter at that time. Misters Terwilliger, father and son, are also shown. The young Mr. Terwilliger was editor of The Democrat at that time. The office was located in what is now the Ses-u-me Street Car Wash across from the old Callicoon School in Callicoon. The photo was loaned to us by Mr. German.

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125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Congratulations to the on their 125th Anniversary!! We would like to thank the Sullivan County Democrat for their friendship and support over the years.

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125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

125 voices

Democrat founder was Civil War Capt., prominent Callicoon Depot resident

apt. John F. Anderson was a man of action. Like the time in June of 1891 when he didn’t like what the Republican Callicoon Echo was reporting he founded his own newspaper – the Sullivan County Democrat. Captain Anderson hired Thomas Pendall as his first editor and publisher and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, much of what the retired Civil War Captain did remains – the town newspaper, the town fire department, a bell in the United Methodist Church and believe it or not – the sewer system. John’s History A member of Co. “E” 143rd N.Y. Infantry unit which fought in the Civil War, he was discharged on February 1, 1863. From there he returned to his hometown, Callicoon Depot (as Callicoon was called in the late 1800s), where he bought a house on

the corner of Church Street near the blinking light (now known as Route 97). Captain Anderson, as he known about town, was apparently a man of considerable means. He had a sewer system installed along Church St. from his home to the Callicoon Creek, near the former sawmill. Before the Callicoon Volunteer Fire Dept. was born, one of the two fire companies was called, “The Anderson Hook and Ladder Co. No. 1” and was named after him. It was located in a building across from the Stewart-Murphy Funeral Home, which he donated to the fire company to be used as a fire station. That company merged with the other fire company in town to form the Callicoon Fire Dept. He also donated a bell to the United Methodist Church in Callicoon on December 25, 1891.

BY MARGARET BRUETSCH

“I enjoy the Democrat very much. I enjoy the Down the Decades. I’ve been reading it since I was a tiny little kid. It’s amazing when I got out of school, I didn’t know any names, and now I recognize names of people who were prominent when I was a kid.” Dennis Eschenberg Callicoon

NYSSA CALKIN | DEMOCRAT

Sullivan County Democrat Publisher Fred Stabbert III stands next to Civil War Capt. John F. Anderson’s tombstone at the Callicoon Cemetery. Fred’s father and grandfather, both publishers of the newspaper, are also buried in the same cemetery.

HISTORY: Democrat turns 125

Callicoon United Methodist Church tolls an historic bell he bell hanging in the belfry of the Callicoon United Methodist Church was donated to the then-Methodist-Episcopal Church, Callicoon Depot, on December 25, 1891 by John F. Anderson, who was a captain in the Civil War. Mr. Anderson had a daughter, Miss Anna Anderson, who was active in the church and Sunday School. She was a school teacher. He also had a son, Frank, who was a lawyer and a grandson, Frank. Captain Anderson donated one of the PHOTO BY HORATIO “BUDDY” KLEIN & stained glass windows in the JOHN WIZEMAN sanctuary as well as the bell. The bottom of the bell is Embossed lettering on the 29 inches in diameter and its reverse side reads: Clinton H. height is approximately the MeNeely Bell Co., Troy, NY same. It is supported by a metal framework in which it the rope is placed so when swings. On the one side of the rope is pulled the bell the bell there is a large will swing and a heavy metal wooden pulley over which clapper which hangs inside

of the bell will hit the sides of the bell. This bell is also equipped with a tolling hammer which requires a second rope. The tolling clapper causes the bell to sound only once each time the bell rope is pulled. In the days when the bell was new, it was the custom to toll the church bell for a funeral. There were no funeral parlors, services were held in the home of the deceased occasionally but mostly in the church. There were two different customs of tolling the bell. One was to toll the bell one stroke for each year of the deceased’s life – if 54 years old, the bell was tolled 54 times. The other custom was to toll the bell slowly but continuously from the time the funeral procession left the church until it arrived at the cemetery.

Congrats to Fred & the nty u o C n a v i l l u S Democrat ! on 125 years

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE Stabbert also praised his current staff, including Office Manager Sue Owens, a 35year employee and Senior Editor Dan Hust, who has been at the Democrat for 20 years.

“I believe our strength is in our commitment and caring about Sullivan County.” “We also have many employees with 10-plus years of experience and our staff really works as a team,” he said. “It’s great to see the extraordinary work they do every week. My

father and grandfather would truly be amazed.” The Future The Democrat continues to be Sullivan County’s oldest and most-respected news source, with a dozen full and part-time reporters and another 20 staff to help produce the newspaper. “We are embracing our future, from the latest in computer equipment to a newly redesigned website with advertising on it,” Stabbert said. “I believe our strength is in our commitment and caring about Sullivan County. “We cover the hard news, the ‘bad’ stuff, because that’s what we do,” he said. “But we are also Sullivan County’s biggest cheerleader. If we can make it to 125 it has to be a great place.”

“I enjoy the weekend crossword puzzle. I’m a crossword guy so I love the weekend edition. And I love the blurbs they do on the kids – the grades, where they’re going – I like to keep tabs on them.” Robin Mailey Callicoon

“The Democrat does a great job with local coverage. I really enjoy seeing pictures of people in the community, especially our youth. You can always go to the Democrat if you want to know what’s going on locally.” Melissa Reid Kiamesha Lake

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125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

125 voices

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Dedicated to Our

“I like the local news and I like going back through all the years in the Down the Decades.”

2 Irma Schilling Cochecton

“I try to stay on top off all that is happening in Sullivan County, it’s an important part of my job. One of my favorite features of the Sullivan County Democrat is knowing about the local upcoming events. It really helps me tune into what is happening locally in my communities.” Kristin White Western Sullivan Public Library Director

3 4

“I like the Democrat because I enjoy seeing people in the paper that I know. It’s very local.” Joe Herbert Jeffersonville

“I enjoy all of the local stories. It’s a very downhome type of paper and I know a lot of the people in it.”

1. Business Manager Sue Owens

2. Proofreader Elizabeth Finnegan 3. Route Driver Philip Grisafe 4. Advertising Coordinator Sandy Schrader (left) & Administrative Assistant Patricia Biedinger Ed Justus Jeffersonville

5. Advertising Representative Cecile Lamy 6.Monticello Office Manager Joanna Blanchard 7. Editor Carol Montana 8. Graphic Designer Rosalie Mycka

“I read it because it’s all about local people. I mainly read it because it’s local news.”

9. Circulation Director Linda Davis 10. Telemarketing Coordinator Michelle Reynolds (left) and Classified Manager Janet Will Jim Hammet Jeffersonville

11. Advertising Director Liz Tucker

“I like reading the Democrat because it keeps me up to date on what’s happening in the community and at the high school.”

Colleen Chudik Hankins

“I like to read the Democrat because it’s very informal. I like the going back in time section very much.” Steven Didinsky White Sulphur Springs

“I like that it promotes all the local happenings in the paper, both good and bad. They do a good job at seeing what takes place while keeping everyone informed.” Maria Neumann Equinunk

125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Hardworking Staff

125 voices “I enjoy the Democrat because I like reading about the local community and the local sports section.”

Jared Kubenik Liberty

15 14

“I like the fact that it gives young journalists the chance to learn the nuts and bolts of the craft. It gives them the chance to get their feet wet.” Ken Cohen Jeffersonville

“I enjoy the local news and their coverage on the local sports. And I enjoy Friday’s crossword puzzle.”

17 12. Publisher Fred Stabbert

Pete Sigelakis Callicoon

13. Senior Editor Dan Hust

14. Advertising Representative Barbara Matos 15. Circulation Representative Jackie Kohloa 16. Special Sections Coordinator Susan Panella

17. Intern Anthony Morgano

“We sell it and I like to read it when we get it in so I can get the local news.”

18. Editorial Assistant Tracy Swendsen Ashok Parikh Fosterdale

19. Sports Editor Joseph Abraham 20. Advertising Representative April Spruill 21. Reporter Autumn Schanil 22. Graphic Designer Ruth Huggler (left) & Photo Editor Nyssa Calkin

“I like the Bethel Corner and all the neighborhood columns.”

23. Graphic Designer Petra Duffy 24. Route Driver Rich Stagl

Thomas O’Laughlin Bethel

“I always read the letters to the editor. I also always look at the first page to see if I know the writer, before I read the Democrat. I like to read it cover to cover.” Alicia Ihlefeldt Cochecton

“I like that it’s run by local people. I love that it’s a newspaper about Sullivan County and that it supports our events and our kids. This newspaper is ours.” Mark Plescia Grahamsville

“I love the Democrat’s close partnership with the Delaware Youth Center. And I love the Down the Decades and the sports section.” Scott Haberli Hankins

125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

125 voices

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

‘You never know what’s going to come in’ Sue Owens: 35 years at the Democrat BY AUTUMN SCHANIL

“I love the stuff about the kids. We did a Sullivan West Task Force and they did great coverage of that. I love the pictures especially when they’re big enough to see. I love the photography.” Laurie Henry Liberty “I love seeing the Sullivan West students’ achievements and athletics highlighted in the Democrat.” Deb Molusky Damascus

“I enjoy the Down the Decades because I’m now finding I’m in there because I’m old.” John Ogozalek French Woods “I like the Democrat because I can find out about what’s going on around town. I like the Sports section, especially with bowling coverage because my two eldest kids bowl.” Nina Verderber Damascus

CALLICOON — Upon walking into the front door of the Sullivan County Democrat office in Callicoon, you may be greeted by the smiling face, rosy cheeks and honest eyes of Office Business Manager Sue Owens. A military baby born in England and raised in Waymart, Pennsylvania, Owens began working at the Democrat nearly 35 years ago when Fred Stabbert Jr. still oversaw the paper. The office building lacked outside siding and the upstairs office that now houses the editorial staff was a film developing darkroom. Owens worked alongside Jean Price in the front office in a secretarial position for her first few years with Price acting as her mentor and confidant, taking Owens under her wing, eventually becoming close friends. “The first month that I started, they were just beginning to move to a computer system to do the billing and filing,” said Owens. “Prior to that they had a ledger of all of the accounts. Everything had to be handwritten, all the advertisements and all the billing.” Owens loved the challenge though. At first the computer system and floppy disks were a bit intimidating but “Big Fred,” as Owens called him, sent her and Price to school in Honesdale for computer programming. “Big Fred was a gentle giant and he always helped us accomplish and make good decisions. “Sending us to school was a little baby start for us, but Jean and I went,” said Owens, “and it was interesting. We learned quite a lot.” “Big Fred” also sent Owens out to different newspapers to see how their systems were set up. Much of the functioning computer system at the Democrat was thanks to their computer programmer Gary

AUTUMN SCHANIL | DEMOCRAT

Sue Owens has seen plenty of changes and a lot of different faces at the Democrat over her 35 years working in the front office. Wootan, and the helpful input of both Owens and Price. The best part of her job? “I really enjoy the people that I work with and I like a challenge. I like the fact that I still learn something new every day,” explained Owens, “I really do. And now I’m learning a lot more because of the advancing technology. “And you never know what’s going to come in,” Owens said smiling. “I remember

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when someone brought in a dead rattlesnake [which they got in trouble for]. “There was another time when a man was driving up the crick road, an eagle was flying overhead and as he was driving, a fish dropped right out of the eagle’s talons and into the man’s radiator. It’s just something that sticks in your mind, ya know?” Owens, a hunter, lover of the outdoors and a sportswoman, loves to see the

turkeys and other game that people bring in to the paper so they can have their photos taken. Her funniest memory? “I had a blooper in my early days here at the paper. This woman called in to the office one day,” said Owens as if it happened yesterday, “and she put an almanac in for a church event. I thought she said ‘booze will be available.’ So it went up to the editorial department and they cor-

rected booze [because they felt the word wasn’t appropriate] to read ‘alcoholic beverages’ will be available. Well, it should have read ‘booths,’ that booths would be available at the event, but it ran in the paper as alcoholic beverages. The church was very understanding and we, of course, made a correction. “But yea, that was my big blooper,” she said laughing. “Now I make sure I have people spell everything out.”

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SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

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125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Commi mitted to a Healthier Community Proud to Support the Sullivan County Democrat At Catskill Regional Medical Center, we know that a healthy community means having a growing and thriving hospital that you can rely on. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re transforming our facilities and programs to better serve the needs of our patients. Our leadership plays an active role in patient care and community involvement. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re committed to improving the health of the community through a variettyy of services, iin n addit i ion to health screenings, support groups and awareness events.

Harris Campu us 68 Harris Bushville e Road Harris, NY 1274 42 845-794-3300 0

Grover M. Hermann Hospital 8881 NYS Route 97 Callicoon, NY 12723 845-887-5530

A member of the Greaater Hudson Valley Health System

www.crmcny.org 41482

SULLIVAN LIFE SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

Remembering the Democrat:

40 years of former editors share their insights. 3-8B www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

125 voices “The Sullivan County Democrat is truly a hometown paper, deeply woven into the fabric of our community. Their positive reporting on the tireless efforts of our residents is to be commended. Our heartfelt thanks to the Stabbert family for their commitment to our county. Congratulations on 125 years!” Alan and Sandra Gerry Liberty

“The Democrat prioritizes the importance of newsworthy stories relevant to our community like no other news outlet in the Hudson Valley. It is our only true, local source of accurate news we can count on every week.” Marc Baez Liberty “I love the Democrat because it’s my community and I get to see what my kids, meaning my students, are doing. It’s nice to see them get recognition.” Dorothy Grecco Glen Spey

“I like the down to earth, local coverage of the local events.” Jack Halchak Hurleyville “It’s a taste of home. I know a lot of people in different states who subscribe to keep that taste of home.” Sharon Cron Ferndale

www.nynewspapers.com

Michelle K. Rea New York Press Association

Executive Director 12047 om Cohoes, NY ewspapers.c mkrea@nyn 621 Columbia Street Ext., Suite 100, fax: 518.464.6489 tel: 518.464.6483

July, 2016

www.nynewspapers.com

Michelle K. Rea Executive Director mkrea@nynewspapers.com

Fred Stabbert, III Sullivan County Democrat PO Box 308 Callicoon, New York 12723

Dear Fred, board of directors, On the occasion of the Sullivan County Democrat’s 125th anniversary, the heartiest our send on Associati Press York New the of newspaper members, and staff congratulations and best wishes. newspapers and to The newspaper’s enduring legacy is a testament to the significance of local their loyal and and family Stabbert the of ns generatio three of the commitment and passion serves readers who talented employees. The Democrat has remained consistently relevant and e source of are deeply invested in the local communities. The newspaper is an invaluabl information that shapes and enriches the county and its citizens. Fred’s who We also wish to make a deep bow of appreciation to Fred III, and the two ent in the involvem and y, generosit humor, good , optimism preceded him. Their eternal community is inspiring. And they’re pretty good golfers too. Our anniversary wish is that your amazing legacy continues to flourish and best wishes for another 125!

Warm regards,

Michelle K. Rea Executive Director

thrive —

“I like that the Democrat has the local views represented and I like the coverage of local sports.” Dan Parisi Cochecton Center “I like it when they put in all the pictures of the sports and the hunting around here. I like the pictures of the turkeys.” Ernest Wood Hurleyville “I enjoy the local coverage the Democrat always has on the schools. Having been in the community now for more than 10 years, it’s fun seeing youngsters who were first shown in the Democrat now have their senior portraits and success stories.” Peg Harrison Narrowsburg

125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

125 voices “I look forward to catching up weekly on what’s happening near home.” Kenneth ‘Rocky’ Rhodes, Cochecton “I have been an avid reader of the Democrat for so many years. I appreciate the ease in which County news is well written and concentrated in the first few pages of the paper. My favorite, hands down, is John Conway’s Retrospect. Keep up the good work!” Bill Rieber Monticello “My favorite thing about the Democrat is that I get to take a ride in the car with my best friend every Tuesday and Friday to pick it up at the convenience store. I love going for rides, so I love the Democrat!” Cricket the Dog Cochecton

“I like the Democrat because I love the hometown feel it has.” Barbra Cady Livingston Manor

Best wishes on the next 125 years.

Thank you to the Sullivan County Democrat and the Stabbert Family for 125 years of service to our community!

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CONGRATUALATIONS ON 125 YEARS!

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125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

125 voices From Democrat columnist to Pulitzer Prize-winner

Remembering the Democrat: Views from past editors BY JOE WHITE

ome journalists are brilliant storytellers. Some are fearless muckrakers. I have had a good life in the news business mainly because I can take disjointed facts and ideas and turn them into a readable column quicker than most. I learned how to do that at the Sullivan County Democrat. When my father was the Democratâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s editor during the late 1970s and early 1980s, he decided that he wanted to add some younger voices to the paperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mix of columnists. The Democrat is a family business, and so I was drafted. I got an offer to write a regular column. At first it was called â&#x20AC;&#x153;New Sounds and Scenarios,â&#x20AC;? because I wanted to write about rock music. Later on, it was called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scenarios,â&#x20AC;? as I wandered further from musical topics to comment on high interest rates, monster trucks and the commer-

that was no match for big trucks on the freeway. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know then that I would spend the bulk of my journalism career in Detroit, writing about cars and trucks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and oil prices. Turning out that column was my first real job in journalism. The challenge of collecting my wits to write something printable by the Democratâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deadline taught me lessons that have served me well ever since. When I began working at my first full-time newspaper job at a weekly newspaper on Marthaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vineyard, Mass., my editor asked me to start writing a weekly column about the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fishing industry. I knew nothing about the Atlantic fishing industry, but I was pretty confident based on my Democrat experience that I could crank out a weekly column. My reply: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sure, boss, can do.â&#x20AC;? Years later, another editor asked me to write a weekly

Keep your eyes and ears open. Connect the dots. Remember that you are serving a community of readers who want to be informed, or entertained, and ideally both. Above all, deliver the goods on time, because a brilliant story thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still in your head doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do any good. These are all lessons I started learning at the Democrat and that have served me well in every job I have had since. To the Stabbert family and everyone at the paper, congratulations on 125 great years!

Joe White column about the auto industry, in addition to my day job covering the auto industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sure, boss, can do.â&#x20AC;? I wrote â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eyes on the Roadâ&#x20AC;? for the Wall Street Journal for more than a decade.

Joe White joined Reuters in January 2015 as the transportation editor, leading coverage of planes, trains and automobiles. Previously, he served as the global automotive editor of the Wall Street Journal, where he oversaw coverage of the auto industry and ran the Detroit bureau. Joe is co-author (with Paul Ingrassia) of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Comeback: The Fall and Rise of the American Automobile Industry,â&#x20AC;? and he and Paul shared the Pulitzer Prize for beat reporting in 1993.

A whole family of memories BY JAN CHERIPKO

went to work for the Sullivan County Democrat back in 1978, starting out as a dark-room technician, which meant that I developed film and processed photos for the newspaper. Today, there is no darkroom, no film, no chemicals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all you have to do is click the photo and drag it to the spot on the page you want. About a year later, an opportunity opened as a sports reporter for the paper, and I got the job. I drove around the

county covering football, soccer, basketball, track and field, baseball, and summer softball leagues. In time, I moved up to become sports editor, and then co-editor, and eventually editor. I will be forever grateful that Fred Stabbert Jr. gave me the opportunity to work my way from pretty much the lowest rung of the local publishing ladder to become the representative of the Sullivan County Democrat. As I look back on those days, what comes to mind first are artifacts that symbol-

ize a publishing world long gone: Exacto knives, those little razor-sharp instruments that every layout person has stabbed or cut himself or herself with at least once; stainless steel containers filled with chemicals to develop film (for that matter, film itself ); large typesetting machines that spit out column after column of news; machines to wax the type, which was then placed on page layouts; metal plates that had the news burned into them; telephone booths to call in updates and stories; phones

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I read it mostly for the sports. Being a coach, I like to see what type of publicity my players can get.â&#x20AC;? Lionel Billard Cochecton â&#x20AC;&#x153;I appreciate the Democratâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coverage of local arts and cultural events especially the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance Events.â&#x20AC;? Bizzy Coy Yulan

that had cords and a dial face â&#x20AC;&#x201C; my God, it has happened, I am old! But my best memories, the richest by far, are of the people. When I came on board, Fred Stabbert Jr. was in charge, though watched over by his mother Nellie, the matriarch. Fred Stabbert III, or Freddie, as we knew him then, was a student at St. Bonaventureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. It was a pleasure to see him grow into such an accomplished writer. He learned the craft of writing from one of the best ever, Thomas R.

White, who was then editor. From time to time Shirley Stabbert would stop by, and it was always a pleasure to see her, as it was when Kathy Werner, often with little ones in tow, dropped off her column. I got to know her son, Michael, well over the years â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a bright, inquisitive, thoughtful young man. My time working for the Stabbert family was a period of great learning for me, and it came from the guidance

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like the Down the Decades. I like reading about what happened in the past and I really enjoy the oldies. Like the 1880s and 1890s.â&#x20AC;? Jim Mosher Lake Huntington

PLEASE SEE CHERIPIKO, 4B

Congratulations on your 125th Anniversary! Best Wishes From . . .

Walter Garigliano Walter Garigliano Barbara A. Garigliano Barbara A. Garigliano

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEM MOCRAT For 125 Years of Excellence e and Service To the County!!

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cialization of Christmas. I recently found a sheaf of those columns at the bottom of a box. Boy, was I young 35 years ago. There are a few good lines in there. Mostly, though, the writing is what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d expect from a 23-year-old kid jazzed up on the over-the-top â&#x20AC;&#x153;New Journalismâ&#x20AC;? of Hunter S. Thompson and Tom Wolfe, and then handed an eightinch hole to fill every week in a real newspaper. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have not lived until you have driven on any one of this countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much vaunted interstates for seven hours, in a driving rain and gale force winds, at the helm of a Volkswagen,â&#x20AC;? I wrote in March 1981, after a road trip to someplace now long forgotten. The rest of the piece is about how nostalgic I was for the big Detroit station wagons of my childhood, before the oil price shocks of the 1970s. Pricey gas had left me to drive around in a tiny car

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I run the Honeybee Festival and the Democrat did a nice spread on us. The Democrat is always willing to help a good cause. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a local paper that covers local events.â&#x20AC;? Joan Santo Hawley, PA

125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

125 CHERIPKO: Family of memories voices

REMEMBERING THE DEMOCRAT: Views from past editors

“I like all the local news. It keeps you up to date on local happenings and I think it’s great they incorporate local people to write the articles.” Cheryl Graham Jeffersonville

“What I enjoy the most in the Democrat is the section that goes back in time, the Down the Decades.” John Gorzynski Cochecton Center

Jan Cheripko “I appreciate the Democrat’s focus on the facts and the reliability of the reporting.” Barbara Arrindell Damascus, PA

FROM PAGE 3B

and good will of the people with whom I worked. Certainly at the top of the list was Tom. He taught me that getting to the truth of a story was the paramount demand for a writer. Along with Tom, there was Chris Stein, general manager, who became a life-long friend.

The list is long, and I fear leaving someone out, but this is my chance to publicly thank so many who made such a wonderful impression on me and helped shape my life. Frank Brownell, with whom I worked as co-editor; the typesetters, Lee Hermann, and Gladys and Bev Houghtaling; Jack Niflot, one of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever met; Jean

Price, Sue Owens, and Nancy Stalker, who covered all the myriad office details. Peggy Wills, Sally Keith, Kathy Hoffman, Frank Rizzo, and so many others who sold the ads to keep the bills paid. Bob Maroney, Charlie Crist, Jack and Kay Danchak, Hank Panchyshyn, Ed Townsend, who brought into words the varied loves of rural life. Debra Conway, Phil Kaplan, Steve Kurlander, Willow Baum, who were smitten by the love of writing and found people and a place to help that romance grow. The people I came to know from traveling around Sullivan County, whose lives enriched mine: Mickey and Reese Roche, two of the most honest, hard-working, good guys one could ever meet; Ken Schultz, an expert bass fisherman, but also a kind and generous man, who once took three of my students fishing simply because he thought it was a nice thing to do; his wife, Sandy, who helped my understanding of the natural world all around us; Ben Wechsler, one of the most intelligent and interesting people I’ve ever met; Ed and Judy Van Put, Lee and Joan Wulff, Harry Darbee, Walt and Winnie Dette, and so many others who dedicated their lives to saving the Beaverkill and the Willowemoc, the birthplace of fly fishing in America; Barbara Yeomans, Bill Douglass, Andy Boyar, Teddy Weber, Joe Purcell, who looked forward every year to the shad run in the Delaware; and Rick Lander, who valued and loved the

Delaware River. John Conway, a gracious man, who lives and breathes Sullivan County; Les Kristt, who epitomizes the word “mensch”; Noel Van Swol, an argumentative thinker, often underestimated by his adversaries; Gloria Krause and Elaine Giguere, who brought out the best in arts and music in western Sullivan County; Lee Siegel, the definition of a gentleman; Gary and Judy Siegel, who wedded their lives to the people and history of Livingston Manor; Skippy Frankel, mayor of the Village of Liberty, who was genuinely concerned for the welfare of the people of Liberty; Ray, Ruth, Pat and Penny Pomeroy, whose care and friendship for my family and me defines goodness; Hazel Ray, who never had a bad word to say about anyone; Alan “Doc” and Mary Fried, who dedicated their lives to helping others, their community, and their environment. And the coaches! I can’t tell you how impressed I was with their patience, care, compassion, knowledge, and discipline. The parents of those young men and women who came under their guidance should be very pleased to have had their children taught by these gifted people: Paul Zintel, Bob Lynch, Jerry Davitt, Ed Riente, Marty Van Vleet, Fred and Becky Ahart, Joe and Missy Iatauro, Andy Taggart, Ron Bauer, Bob Elco, Kurt Scheibe, Al Wojtaszek, and my dear friend from days long ago, Charlie Donnelly. The athletes themselves: Maurice “Mo” Martin, Betsy

Johnson Conaty, Jackie Bodner, Tammi Reiss, Rusty Pomeroy, James Cheeks, John Meyer, Chris Gilbert, Cindy Kraus O’Dell, Gail Cortese Fasshauer, Michael Stauch, Jodi Makela Peters, and so many more. One scene is etched in my memory that captures the wonder of playing sports in high school. It was a girls’ basketball game, and there was a scramble for the ball. Betsy Johnson slid on the wood floor to get it, and in a split second, she looked up with a huge smile on her face that said, “Isn’t this fun! Life doesn’t get any better than this!” I think she was right. Life didn’t get much better than watching people enjoy what they were doing. I got to drop in from time to time, chat with them, marvel at their wonderful gifts, and simply be part of the gracious and welcoming worlds they created. No doubt I’ve left someone out, and I apologize for the lapse, but my memory is just that – a memory. To have had the chance to witness so many incredible experiences through so many extraordinary people is something for which I’ll forever be grateful, and I owe a great debt of gratitude to the Stabbert family for letting me be a part of it. Jan Cheripko is an award-winning author of several books for children and young adults. In addition to writing and lecturing throughout the country and abroad, Jan is a consultant to the Highlights Foundation, where he occasionally leads workshops on writing.

41790

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Congratulations on 125 years of comprehensive reporting of Sullivan County news!

Congratulations to the Stabbert Family from the Freda Family

It’s been Fun going down the decades with you!

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Being successful is a lot like playing golf; it takes a lot of practice and the ability to think under pressure. Congratulations on your 125th anniversary.

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125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

125 Far afield or close to home, plenty of stories to tell voices

REMEMBERING THE DEMOCRAT: Views from past editors BY FRANK BROWNELL

ooking back on my time as editor of the Sullivan County Democrat, my first thought is that it’s hard to believe more than 22 years have passed since I resigned my position and left Sullivan County. And although the passage of time has dimmed my memories a bit, some issues and events remain sharp and clear in my mind. Perhaps the most spectacular story I ever reported on was a trip I took to northern Canada, to the massive hydropower project then under construction to the east of Hudson Bay, a trip sponsored by the New York Power Authority to gain support for a 465kilovolt transmission line to be built from the project site to Fishkill, NY. Although there was (and still is) a considerable amount of opposition to the construction of such high-voltage transmission lines, there could be no denying the massive scope of the project, which consisted of a series of 27 dams and dikes on three major river systems flowing into Hudson Bay, with generating stations at each body of water formed by these dams and dikes. However, the most amazing aspect of this entire project was the fact that in order to gain enough “fall” for the water, as the landscape is quite level, the builders had to carve out caverns deep in the bedrock and then place dozens of generators in each cavern. The caverns themselves were the size of three football fields, and when I was underground, the entire cavern was vibrating like a tuning fork from the spin of the generators, and the interior felt alive with the electricity being produced. The only manmade structure which I have ever seen that comes close to the magnitude of this project is

Frank Brownell Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, another amazing feat of hydropower electrical generation made all the more spectacular by the fact that it was built in the 1930s. Eventually the power line was built, although I believe it was built to the north of Sullivan County, as years later, when I was visiting my mother for the first time in her new home halfway between Otego and Oneonta, I was shocked to discover that the power line was within a stone’s throw of her backyard – talk about karma! But to this day, the memory of that visit and the magnitude of the project remain firmly etched in my mind. The most infuriating story I ever covered was the continuing saga of the effect of New York City’s construction of its multiple reservoirs in the Catskills, with the subsequent flooding of several river valleys resulting in the drowning of multiple villages and hamlets and small businesses and homes and farms in order to provide the city with its muchtouted water. In essence, the city, for decades and continuing to this day, has bullied Sullivan

County and the other counties in its reservoir watersheds by limiting development, buying up land which is then effectively taken off the tax rolls, and challenging all of its property tax assessments to minimize the amount of money it pays for this water. Just last year, this story had yet another depressing chapter written when the city sued the Town of Neversink and TriValley Central School District and forced them to repay millions of dollars because the city claims its assessments are too high. To support this contention, they claim that although the water is priceless, the land upon which the reservoirs are located is worthless, because it can only be used for one thing – that being as reservoirs, which to me is the height of absurdity. At the time I was editor, I did an editorial on the fact that the city was paying the equivalent of six cents per thousand gallons of water, based on figures of $30 million in tax payments to the affected taxing districts for 550 billion gallons of water per year, which was their consumption at the time. Having just recently returned to Sullivan County from living in Key West, that figure was especially upsetting to me, because in the Keys we had been paying $7 per thousand gallons for our water, and I pointed out that if New York City just paid a pittance of 25 cents per thousand gallons, the amount of taxes paid would increase by more than $90 million a year, or basically enough to pave every road in the watershed areas with gold and decrease the crippling taxes paid by the residents of the Catskills. And in a continuing affront to every resident of the Catskills, the city, in order to continue receiving a waiver of EPA regulations that all aboveground water supplies must be filtered, has entered into an

agreement with the EPA which requires them to buy a specific amount of land every year to limit development on the hillsides, thus preserving the quality of the water. However, the main reason the city was granted this waiver in the first place was because they claimed the cost of building a filtration plant would bankrupt the city, as they said it would cost $10 billion to build such a plant. Being skeptical by nature, I thought that the city was massively overestimating the cost of such a plant to avoid having to build it, and in reply to another editorial I wrote, an engineer wrote in to inform our readers that a “ballpark” figure for the cost of building a filtration plant (at the time) was approximately $1 per gallon per day of consumption. So based on the figure of 550 billion gallons per year, which equals 1.5 billion gallons per day, a more accurate estimate of the cost of such a plant was $1.5 billion. In other words, the city lied to the EPA to make it seem like it could not afford to build a filtration plant, when in fact it could. However, we know who paid – and continues to pay – the price for this blatant lie, don’t we? In essence, first the city forced residents out of the valleys when they built the reservoirs, and now it is forcing them off the hillsides in a ruse to avoid paying for a filtration plant. Lastly, any recollection on my part of noteworthy events in my tenure as editor would be lacking if it did not include a mention of the yearly reunions I covered at the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, a happening which reverberated throughout the nation, but more so the Town of Bethel, decades after the fact. The festival was so controversial in Sullivan County that it took 17 years for the placement of even the tiniest of

markers at the location at the corner of Hurd Road and West Shore Drive, although the Village of Woodstock in Ulster County has reveled in its name association with the event and realized millions of dollars in revenues, while Sullivan County paid the price for yearly unauthorized pilgrimages to the site for more than three decades. In fact, it was only after Liberty native Alan Gerry stood up to the plate and purchased the property and built the current Bethel Woods Center for the Arts that the county finally realized some financial benefit from the legacy of the festival. I’ll never forget the first time I visited the site in 2009 after being away for many years and being moved to tears by the fact that Mr. Gerry had preserved the site as it had been just before the festival, and built the museum and performing arts center on top of the hill and not on the actual stage site at the bottom of the hill. In closing, I would like to give a “shout out” to the thousands of people of Sullivan County with whom I had such positive interactions through the years, with my fondest recollections being of the many graduations, sporting events, village and town meetings, fairs, festivals, parades, and other similar celebrations of small-town life and rural America that I had the privilege of covering and which so inspired me during my time as editor. Thanks for the memories ... Peace. Frank Brownell, upon completing a varied and travelled career, is currently officially retired, enjoying the good life at a senior citizen residence in Oswego, where he occasionally infuriates his fellow residents with his outspoken opinions – of which he has many, honed by years of twice-weekly editorials. He spends time reading, keeping up on current events and enjoying many long walks.

“I buy the paper because I like its coverage of County news. I mean Sullivan County in terms of legislation – they cover the town meetings well.” Elaine Giguere, Lava

“I look at it as a Sullivan County staple. I grew up in the Catskills and the Democrat has always been on my table. It’s a tried and true publication.” Jillian Scheinfeld Rock Hill “I like it when they put in the pictures of the hunting – like the big deer I didn’t get. If it wasn’t for the sports, there’d be nothing to read.” William Curry Loch Sheldrake “I’m very appreciative of how the Democrat promotes the work of so many non-profits who are trying to make improvements in the county.” Regina Wagner Jeffersonville

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125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

REMEMBERING THE DEMOCRAT: Views from past editors 125

voices

BY PHIL KAPLAN

I Cat Scott, Hortonville

“I love that it keeps me in touch with what’s going on in the County from people who have been here forever.” Jennifer Clark, Long Eddy

“I like the Democrat because it is Sullivan County.” Leslie Shenkel, Callicoon “What I like is that it’s a small town paper geared around the local happenings.” Kim Capicchioni (right) with granddaughter Amerie Capicchioni (9), Walton

am probably the most unlikeliest person that ever became editor of the Sullivan County Democrat. You see, that was not my plan. I shouldn’t even be writing this. Growing up in the 1970s in Monticello, I had only one aspiration. I wanted to talk about sports. And due to my shyness, radio was a perfect match for me. And that love affair for radio eventually led me to a career in sports journalism. I was working for WSUL Radio in Monticello in the summer of 1984, returning back to my hometown after failed attempts to find work at radio stations in Florida. Even with a bachelor’s degree in communications, I could only find sales jobs, and I was frankly not very good. I was 21. My brother, who I moved with to Pompano Beach the summer before, was engaged. So it was back to my parents’ place, bartending at Roark’s and working some late shifts at WSUL. Nothing had changed. During my tenure at WSUL – which started during my senior year of high school at age 17 and continued through college – I covered news events, meetings and sports. So there was some writing involved, and I had a great boss in John Conway. I would leave my news stories that night and come back the next day to see how John had marked up my copy, sometimes to a point that it wasn’t recognized. I didn’t appreciate it at the time, but as I look back – and I have told him – I learned a great deal. I struck up a friendship with Jan Cheripko, who at the time was the sports editor of the Democrat. We would see

each other at sporting events. Not sure where and when it happened, but Jan told me he was editor of the Democrat and needed to hire someone to oversee the sports section, and would I be interested? Jan said the transition would be easy from radio to print. I was already writing stories, but instead of inserting the audio from an interview during my script, I would substitute quotes in its place. And the pay? The offer was $180 a week. I was only making $3.35 an hour at WSUL, and the summer was about to end, so my tips and hours at Roark’s would greatly diminish. I was astonished they were going to pay me to write. I said yes. So right around Labor Day in 1984, my dad helped me move my belongings to an apartment on the main street of Callicoon just blocks away from the Democrat’s office. I had a good scouting report about the Democrat. My uncle, Ben Kaplan, wrote columns on the history of Sullivan County, and it’s from him where I got my passion about sports and being in the media. I knew sports was important to the Democrat, not just the western part of the county. I arrived for work, purchased a camera to take my photos for the newspaper, met the staff, and sat at my desk that included an electric typewriter. Jan gave me my first assignment: a Delaware Valley football game on a sunny fall day on a Saturday afternoon. I had never been to a football game. Monticello didn’t have a high school team, so I didn’t have the opportunity at WSUL. All my football knowledge was from watching Notre Dame and the NFL on television or what I read in

The Sporting News or the various newspapers my dad would buy during the week when I was growing up. I’m not sure what I wrote, but I know it summarized the entire game with lots of playby-play. There were quotes, but that piece was long. And the photos were mine. I settled into the job. And there was plenty to write about. There were great high school football teams from Honesdale, Pa., and high school basketball teams from Fallsburg, Roscoe, Liberty and Monticello; outstanding athletes like Eldred basketball player Tammi Reiss and Liberty basketball player Maurice Martin; interesting events like the Red Smith fly fishing dinner in Roscoe; covering the weekend warriors that played softball for Roche’s Garage; and the sheer beauty of the Delaware River. And like others before me and after me, I took hundreds of photos of deer and turkeys as hunters proudly arrived at the Democrat’s office to have their entries documented for the contests we would run. I measured plenty of turkey beards and learned how to add points for a deer’s rack. From sportswriter, I was promoted to sports editor and hired another radio veteran named Barry Lewis, who is now editor of the TimesHerald Record in Middletown. Let me tell you, that was a killer sports staff. It wasn’t long after I became managing editor, moved to Jeffersonville, and following another change at the paper, I was promoted to editor in 1986. I was only 24. Yikes. I was thankful that both Fred Stabbert Jr. and Fred Stabbert III were confident in their decision to put me in a leadership role.

Phil Kaplan I wish I could share more stories with you. However, my tenure was short as editor, and it was 30 years ago. I can tell you I enjoyed the leadership role and overseeing a vibrant staff bringing the news of Sullivan County to the community. And just as important, my time spent at the Sullivan County Democrat played a huge role in my future in journalism and media profession. I’m truly grateful for the op-

Phil Kaplan is sports editor of the News Sentinel in Knoxville, Tenn., a role he has served since 2010 after joining the newspaper in 1996. Kaplan is past president of the Associated Press Sports Editors and a lecturer in sports journalism at the University of Tennessee.

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portunity that the Stabbert family gave to a young and committed journalist who was born and raised in Sullivan County. I’m proud to be just a small part of the newspaper’s great history and legacy.

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“I like how community oriented the Democrat is. It’s a great hometown paper.”

For the love of sports

125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

REMEMBERING THE DEMOCRAT: Views from past editors

Two decades on, the memories remain strong

n the Spring of 1992, I decided to move from my native northern New York to get a fresh start personally and professionally. Since graduating from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1988 with a degree in Psychology and minor in English-Writing Concentration, I’d been working for Park Newspapers of St. Lawrence County as a reporter and editor, providing articles about county and local government, crime and court proceedings, and features of all types to a chain of upstate newspapers in Ogdensburg, Massena, Canton, and Potsdam. I admittedly had never heard of Sullivan County, located some 300 miles away from the Canadian border where I grew up, but I plotted out a radius from where my sister lived in Orange County’s Middletown and began making the rounds, with my resumé and book of clips from my college newspaper and subsequent jobs in hand. Within three days of my search, I stumbled upon the Sullivan County Democrat which happened to have an opening for a general assignment reporter. I met with the publishers, the father & son Fred Stabbert(s) and Editor Frank Brownell, and walked out with a job offer. That same day, having scoured the classified ads, I checked out a lovely apartment in Hortonville and made a handshake deal to move in the following week. It all seemed like it was meant to be. (Coincidentally, I still reside in that same apartment 24 years later, a potential record for longevity in the rental world.) Within two years of starting

he first time I walked past the Democrat, I was like, “What the hell is this place?” The building – really, all of Callicoon – looked like something out of the Wild West. Thirty years ago, I’d journeyed up from the city with someone interviewing for a teaching job in Roscoe. We decided to take the scenic route back, meandering along the country roads towards Callicoon. It was a gorgeous August afternoon. I remember passing by a sun-dappled cornfield, the vivid green seemingly within hand’s reach of the car. Little did I know that I’d end up working at the Democrat, eventually marrying one of my soon-to-be fellow reporters. Years later, how many times did I walk past those same buildings in Callicoon, heading with my kids towards the Youth Center to spend lazy, summer afternoons by the pool? One of the things I loved right from the start about my wife, Kristin, was her eye for the natural beauty along the Upper Delaware. As a reporter, she could see things I would have speeded by and never noticed – the wind blowing across a hay field, particular wildflowers, the slow-moment corners where people live. (I have a photo Kristin got for the Democrat at the Wayne County Fair. It’s of a 4-H girl fallen asleep on some hay, beside her cow.) I could write at least a thousand words about each of the colleagues I worked with at the Democrat. My longtime friend, former Editor Frank Rizzo, and I played essentially the same tennis game for what must have been decades – often retelling the same Democrat stories over and over. Many

at the Democrat, I was promoted to News Editor following Frank Brownell’s departure. Now I had the responsibility of assigning articles to the reporting staff, editing copy, selecting photos, and doing layout in the old days of literal cut-and-paste, while also maintaining a full schedule of writing myself, both to assure that worthy stories got covered and because the love of writing is what compels anyone to the journalism business in the first place. Was it daunting to try to fulfill all the worthy coverage requests? Yes. Was it exhausting to meet the twice-weekly deadlines for the regular newspaper while working simultaneously on numerous special sections and magazines? Yes. Was there occasional controversy over editorials I’d written, internal and external politics that always exert some influence, and judgment calls that had to be made? Yes. However, it was also a valuable learning platform to hone skills in writing, photography, design, and management. As a News Editor in those days, I was responsible for the creative content of my own articles, trying to avoid wasting expensive print film by getting the best shot quickly, fact-checking and seeking to improve reporter contributions, and wielding Exacto knives and paste machines to affix the articles and photos onto the paste-up page. There was also a distinct sense of camaraderie. Twice a week, we “put on a show” which required the commitment of every single staff

press how much an article had meant to that individual or a group, nothing was more gratifying. Though I have not been with the Sullivan County Democrat for 19 years now – which is nearly four times the length of my actual tenure there – I’m forever associated with it. The newspapers themselves live on in posterity, of course, but so too does the training (such as my inability to resist writing leads in my head and taking photos at community events when it’s really not necessary) and my memories. Congratulations for achieving 125 years of serving, reflecting, critiquing, and promoting the stories, people, and communities of the SCD coverage area!

Laurie Ramie

member doing their particular jobs. Mondays and Thursdays were referred to as paperdown days. The relief we experienced at bundling up those broadsheet pages to head off to the printing press was palpable, often celebrated during my time with gathering around a table at the former Davis’ Bar in Callicoon for their 50-cent beers. I made enduring friend-

ships from sharing the trenches with the likes of the late Jack Niflot in advertising, Frank Rizzo in sports, and Dan Hust as then a cub reporter. It was Dan who so ably took over for me as News Editor when I departed to accept a position at the Upper Delaware Council in 1997. Lastly, being involved in true community journalism brought times of great satisfaction. When all went well and somebody would ex-

Laurie Ramie joined the staff of the Upper Delaware Council, Inc. (UDC) as the Public Relations Specialist in April 1997 and has been its Executive Director since June 2012. The non-profit organization, based in Narrowsburg, is comprised of 13 local governments that border the Upper Delaware River, as well as New York State, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Delaware River Basin Commission. The UDC works in partnership with the National Park Service to administer the River Management Plan for the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, which the U.S. Congress designated to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System for conservation in 1978. The Town of Delaware resident also serves as recording/corresponding secretary for the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, Inc., secretary for the Delaware & Hudson Transportation Heritage Council, and is a member of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the Fremont Center Community Church, and the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance.

Slow down and read all about it of the characters we worked with were better than fiction. Charlie Crist (1914-1993), for example, was an elderly gentleman who wrote a column, along with an occasional story, for the paper. Charlie had a long and storied career as a reporter starting back in the 1930s. He knew just about everyone in the county. Charlie hunted and trapped and fished. (I did none of above.) I recall one time he showed up at a ribbon-cutting wearing muck boots caked in fresh mud. No one seemed to notice. After telling us all about his exploits in the woods that morning, Charlie took me aside and quietly mentioned some story that needed to be told. He was handing it off to me. In his later years, Charlie would drive around the county (at a VERY slow speed) with his wife, Gladys. He’d find all kinds of great nature pictures, snapped from the window of his idling vehicle. (To hell with traffic held up behind.) I have a clipping from Charlie’s column in the Democrat, dated August 4, 1992. It’s called “Rain Beyond Control.” Charlie describes how he and Gladys had been caught in a huge thunderstorm in Monticello: “We drove carefully, even though others seemed to think we were a nuisance on the road, blew horns and passed on double lines.” Despite the fact that it was getting harder and harder for Charlie to get around, his eye for detail remained sharp, as he reports on a storm that probably everyone was talking about the next day: “Arriving home I decided to check the rain gauge. It was an even two

inches, which had fallen in less than an hour.” Actually, Charlie never lost his interest in hard news. Until the day he died, he was still sending us stories from a “good source” he had in the New York State Police. (I think it was a neighbor who was a trooper.) I recall covering a parade on Broadway in Monticello. It was a mellow, relaxing sort of assignment, and I was certainly in no hurry that Saturday morning. Charlie approached me with a stern look. Didn’t I know there had just been a fatal crash close by on Route 17? Why wasn’t I there? I ought to get a picture. I always hated prowling around the scenes of car wrecks, but this sounded more like an order than a request. What kind of newsman was I, Charlie seemed to imply. I got going. Lest anyone think for a moment that life back in the “good ol’ days” was all nice and rosy, try paging through some of the old, yellowed volumes of the Sullivan County Democrat from many decades past. Long before the era of mandatory seat belts and air bags, horrific crashes were a common feature of news reporting. There was one photo of a gruesome auto accident that looked as if the reporter had practically climbed into the car to get the shot. Life was lived close to the bone back then. I remember Charlie calling me one day to tip me off about an important story up in the Manor that no one was covering. Dr. Lewis Denman, a 78-year-old “country doctor,” was about to retire. It’s one of my favorite stories, not only because Charlie put me onto it but

125 voices “I like to read the Democrat at lunch and I get to keep up on what’s going on in the county.” Anne-Marie Kremer, Claryville

“I like to read the whole paper because it gets to the point. It’s a good, local paper.” Thomas Hauschild, Callicoon

“I like the Democrat because it’s a good record of the local community. It picks up the best of what’s going on.” Kai Brothers Callicoon Center

“I like the Democrat because I can’t live without the local news or the weekly Kenoza Lake article.” Brad Walrod Kenoza Lake

“I like the Democrat because I appreciate its dedication to local coverage.” Kristin Porter, Callicoon

“I love the Democrat because it’s a hometown paper and I can stay up [to date] on all the local news.” Nancy Buck, Roscoe

John Ogozalek because it demonstrates the real value of a newspaper like the Sullivan County Democrat, of community journalism. Listening to Dr. Denman in his quiet, empty office, I could feel the weight, the importance, of all the stories that we journalists have been entrusted to tell over the years. Here I was, this young guy, trying to put a doctor’s life in perspective – his 40 years of saving lives. Dr. Denman recounted one his most memorable house calls. There was a terrible blizzard, and he had to deliver a baby far out of town. He was driving a ’52 Buick Coupe with tire

chains, and the only way he could get through was to keep backing up and crashing through the snow drifts. Dr. Denman arrived, a new life came into the world and many years later our newspaper was keeping that story alive. It was an honor to work at the Democrat. It was often a lot of fun, too. Thanks to all the great people I met along the way. John Ogozalek has worked since 1988 as a history teacher at Narrowsburg and then the merged Sullivan West School District. Prior to teaching, he was a reporter and editor at the Democrat. He and his family live in French Woods, five miles north of Long Eddy.

“I like that the Democrat is local. My favorite part is the Down the Decades section. It’s the best.” Kathy Fraser, Monticello

“My favorite parts of the Democrat are the local news, the Down the Decades and the feel-good stories.” Russell Brey, Briscoe

125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

125 voices “I like the Democrat because it’s how I catch up on local news. You don’t miss anything.” Mary Tonjes, Callicoon

“I enjoy the Democrat because that’s how I get all of my local news.” Beverly Paige, Monticello

“I like the Democrat because they’re always on top of all the small stuff and events when no one else is.” Lindsey Bauer, Callicoon

“I love the Democrat because it’s a true local newspaper.” Polly Giragosian, Wurtsboro

“I like the Democrat because it tells things the way they are. I respect those who say things the way they are. And it’s more oriented towards Sullivan County than others.” Charlie Sabatino Monticello

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

REMEMBERING THE DEMOCRAT: Views from past editors

But enough about me ... BY DAN HUST

y closest friends might disagree, but I’m more a listener than a talker. And since most people prefer to speak rather than listen, it works out well. In fact, I’ve listened to thousands of Sullivan County residents, workers, leaders and, yes, criminals talk about every imaginable topic, and I’ve had the good fortune to share those interviews and discussions with thousands more. I’ve listened to governors, farmers, senators, murderers, actors, bus drivers, scientists, charlatans, preachers, teachers and a Miss America or two – even a First Lady who happens to be running for President. I’ve met people who’ve saved lives and people who’ve taken them. I’ve shared the stories of the most talented individuals the world has seen, including a Nobel Peace Prize awardee and actors with the word “Oscar” permanently attached to their names. But what’s kept my career firmly rooted in community journalism is the community – the “ordinary” folk who inhabit, and define, this tiny swath of the globe. That’s been much of my job since 1996, when I took the role of reporter/photographer to satisfy my Master’s Degree requirements (and, unlike many of my fellow grad school interns, to get paid doing it). Less than a year later, I was unexpectedly named editor, and coupled with the death of my father, I stayed far longer than I ever anticipated. Had I left for the “bigger and better” roles in corporate media, I suspect I would have mostly been confined to the “criminal/scandal of the day” pieces that pass for journalism. Instead, I’ve been allowed wide latitude to pursue all sorts of stories I think will in-

terest our readers – ones I typically find interesting myself. Most importantly to me, I’ve been free to write far more about the people who make a difference in our community, as opposed to those who would do it harm. True, there’s excitement in courtroom drama, ambulance-chasing, and fiery spectacle. There’s a need for reporters to be watchdogs, to write about wrongdoing, to relate pain and suffering and evil to readers. But there’s reason to also highlight the unsung heroes, to champion those otherwise unseen, to herald the daily good deeds which go on so much more often than the headline-grabbing crimes. Here at the Sullivan County Democrat, I’ve been allowed to take that journalistically less-trodden path, to worry more about quality than quantity, to inspire and motivate vs. depress and horrify. I don’t claim to know where community journalism is headed. Even at this level, it’s a vastly changed industry, thanks to social media’s free, crowd-sourced immediacy. Then again, I’ve always preferred “slow-cooked” reporting over the fast-food version prevalent in digital media. Indeed, while we relish publishing a “scoop” as much as anyone else, my entire tenure has been more about getting it right than getting it first, about being more in-depth and more informative than the guy who’s been quicker with pen and keyboard. If that makes me anachronistic, so be it. People deserve a decently researched, correctly spelled, interestingly written story, and while I’ll not claim to have given such every single time, it’s a constant, consistent goal – one that I deeply hope will never be irrelevant, despite the trend of the day. Not that I’ll deny having been around a long time.

Dan Hust Though I started as a reporter in 1996, I actually began working at the Democrat during its centennial year. In fact, I arrived mere weeks after the 100th anniversary issue debuted, eager to try a summer job that didn’t involve gardening (my previous summer’s duty). That May of 1991, I had just turned 16 and barely had a driver’s license when Publisher Fred Stabbert Jr. and his son Fred III put me behind the wheel of the company van. I found twin loves the first day I drove that old Chevy – cruising the roads of Sullivan County, and talk radio. The van was surprisingly responsive and comfortable, and the AM-only radio entertained me with controversial loudmouths like Bob Grant and Rush Limbaugh during late-night runs to and from

“I think the Democrat does a fabulous job supporting the county. There’s fair coverage on everything and it’s pretty widespread. And the writers always try to emphasize the positive happenings in the county.” Helena Manzione, Bethel

“I like the Democrat because it keeps me informed of what’s going on in the river valley. Whether it’s different projects our partners are doing or stories about the river itself, they have it.” Ingrid Peterec, Minisink Ford

the Port Jervis printing plant. I had been perusing the Democrat as long as I’d been able to read, but at that point my interest in journalism had not manifested. I was happy to simply be getting paid to proofread amidst driving errands, mowing the tiny patch of grass behind the Callicoon office, and picking up endless cigarette butts on the sidewalk and parking lot. I spent three more summers being the office gopher, and I’m proud to say a desk I assembled still serves its purpose in our production room! Two things pushed me onward to this career: • Eileen Israel, a former adjunct professor of freshman composition at SUNY Sullivan, who encouraged me to write when none had before; and • Joining the student paper at college, which thrust me into the world of editing and

reporting, which in turn led to grad school and another student paper. Five years nearly to the day after I first joined the Democrat, I returned – still a teenager – as a full-time reporter. Twenty years later, I remain a full-time reporter – or senior editor, or staff writer/photographer, or tech guy, or whatever they call me these days. Aw, never mind the titles. Just call me what everyone else does – you know, “Dan ... from the Democrat.” Dan Hust is a native of Sullivan County (Kenoza Lake, to be precise), where he’s spent two decades getting to know a place he once thought he knew well! He’s also been blessed to share the love of writing for four years with freshman composition students at SUNY Sullivan – including in the very room where he developed that love.

The best job I would ever hope to have BY FRANK RIZZO

“I like the Democrat because it’s a wonderful paper. It’s so great to have a family-run business for that many years that does such good coverage of the area.” Kathleen Johnson Narrowsburg

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

few months ago, for my current job, I interviewed the medical doctor and “new age guru” Deepak Chopra. Here’s a celebrity with countless books sold, millions of “followers” and an institute bearing his name. I asked him what he hoped his legacy would be. His answer was blunt: “In two generations, we’ll be forgotten. Nobody will give a hoot.” What a downer. We all have the human wish to make a difference, leave a mark on the world after we’ve completed our journey. Those who toil in journalism know that the overwhelming part of what we do is ephemeral. Our product is destined to be “fish wrap” or “lining bird cages.” Yet we also know that we are the only constant chroniclers of the community. Our archives and back pages constitute the record of our past that would otherwise be forever lost. That’s got to be worth something, and measures the value of community journalism to the people it serves. All these things come to mind as I am asked to put words to paper about the nearly 20 years I spent at the Sullivan County Democrat. I look back on my body of work with the humble hope that in many ways it created something of permanent worth to those on the receiving end of my reporting. The Democrat first came to my consciousness in the summer of 1989, which was my first time in the riverside hamlet with the funny name of Callicoon. I was visiting my friends Kevin and Barbara Gref, and Barbara had been employed as a reporter at the paper for several months and gave me a tour of the main office.

Frank Rizzo It must have been one day in January 1991 – remember that the first Gulf War was raging – when Barbara called to tell me that the Democrat’s sports editor, Jeff Mills, was leaving, and the paper would be looking for a replacement. Though I had been sports editor at one college paper, I had never taken formal journalism courses and never considered reporting as a career until several talks with the Grefs planted the idea in my head. Now it beckoned like the songs of the mythical

sirens calling the sailors of old, especially since I was unhappily underemployed at the time. So I sent in a resumé and some clips, and before long I had an appointment with Fred Stabbert III. He was general manager then, several years away from replacing Fred Jr. as publisher. The interview must have gone well, because a few weeks later I was offered the position. I’ll be forever grateful to the first people I contacted, the Western Sullivan League

baseball coaches, for their unstinting cooperation and help as I took my first tentative steps into coverage. It did not take me long to gain insight into what the Democrat meant to the local sports scene ever since the Stabberts and Jan Cheripko had introduced a formal sports section back in 1979. Sure, we could not publish timely local results as did the Middletown daily, but we could lend a narrative structure to the sports seasons, find glory and drama in everyday games, highlight kids who might not otherwise see their names in the newspaper and give coverage to the doormat as well as the championship team. Nowadays everyone, it seems, has a cell phone camera at athletic contests. Twenty-five years ago, only the Democrat was on the sidelines, snapping away. In my 10-plus years as sports editor, I estimate that I shot about 50,000 exposures. Unfortunately, most negatives were destroyed in the great flood of 2006. Much else, irreplaceable, was lost that dark day (including, most importantly, one of our resident’s lives). I wanted to start “naming names” but know that I would feel bad about leaving someone out. Besides, the stories I could relate and sketches of the personalities I encountered would require an article three times the length. Suffice to say I met countless good and decent people in my time, both as colleagues in the workplace and as subjects of my reporting. I covered many memorable contests, watched the development and growth of many great athletes and even had the sad duty of reporting on too many athletes dying young. With help from such

staffers and freelancers as Joel Brustman, Ted Waddell and Rob Potter, we were able to create what I believe were the best scholastic sports pages the Democrat ever offered. I also developed great personal and professional relationships with the editors I worked with – Frank Brownell, Laurie Ramie and Dan Hust. I’m also grateful for the interns who helped me greatly. In 2001, for personal reasons, I had to reluctantly leave the best job I would ever hope to have. Anyone who’s ever gotten the journalism bug knows you can never get rid of it. In the summer of 2006, I learned that Dan Hust was looking to step away from his burdensome position and go back to reporting. Soon I was back in that familiar place and spent the next nine years there as editor-in-chief. I was helped by such talented writers as Dan, Barbara Gref, Jeanne Sager, Kathy Daley and too many others to list. They were fateful, eventful years of our county, and I was glad to have been in the journalistic thick of it, even if the job could be frustrating, crushing and exasperating. But trade it for anything else? Never for a minute. Congratulations to the Democrat as it celebrates 125 years. It is put together by a talented, dedicated staff who makes sure that, for 104 issues a year, the readership is getting informed and entertained. On a personal note, I am most profoundly grateful to Fred Jr. and Fred III for giving my young, untested self an opportunity to work for a great community newspaper. Frank Rizzo was sports editor of the Democrat from 1991 through 2001, and editor in chief from 2006 to 2015. He now edits two community newspapers on Long Island.

SULLIVAN LIFE SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

The History of the Democrat:

Clips of days gone by highlighting historic moments. In this section

www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

125 voices

The Quasquicentennial BY JOHN CONWAY SULLIVAN COUNTY HISTORIAN

many much more modern undertakings. In fact, the newspaper, now a twice-weekly publication, is celebrating its quasquicentennial – yes, that’s the word for 125th anniversary this year. Callicoon Depot had become a bustling community with the arrival of the New York & Erie Railroad in 1848, and it continued to grow throughout the latter half of the 19th Century. The Callicoon Echo had been established as an independent newspaper in 1875 by E.I. Gorton and P.L. Jacobs, and was edited by Gorton. Published every Friday as a six-column, four page weekly, it hailed itself as “the working man’s paper,” and claimed to be “the cheapest and best paper published in Sullivan County.” Gorton prided himself on

being “fearless in his criticisms,” and touted the Echo as the only paper in Sullivan County that did not use “patent outsides or blocks,” meaning it was completely about local and regional news. It is not exactly known what prompted the organization of an alternate newspaper in the community in 1891, but there were a number of significant issues dividing the country – and the county – at the time. For one, on the national level, the populist movement was picking up steam, primarily among farmers who felt they were being priced out of business by the banks and the railroads. In Sullivan County, there were a number of other CONTINUED ON PAGE 2C

including Wurtsboro, White Lake, Livingston Manor, Narrowsburg and Hurleyville. And a few communities have had more than one paper – often at the same time. Monticello, the county’s largest community almost from the beginning, has been home to the Chronicle, the Herald, the Republican, the Republican Watchman, the Bulletin, and the Evening News, in addition to the Whig. The Independent, the Register, the Gazette, and others have been published in Liberty, which has long been the county’s second largest village. Douglas, the only city in Sullivan County’s history, once had both the Journal and the Gazette. Jeffersonville was home to the

Local Record as well as the Volksblatt, a German language paper. The hamlet of Callicoon was also at one time home to two newspapers, the Callicoon Echo and the Sullivan County Democrat. One by one, for various reasons, these newspapers fell by the wayside. While, as late as the 1960s there were still nearly a dozen papers in Sullivan County, nearly all of them were gone by the end of the Century. The Sullivan County Democrat, established in the summer of 1891, has outlived them all, including

t the age of 108, Marie Zalesky, who grew up in Hortonville and now resides at the Roscoe Community Nursing Home, still reads the Sullivan County Democrat every Tuesday and Friday. Zalesky is one of the paper’s longest and oldest subscribers. “I got the paper yesterday, but I didn’t get a chance to read the whole thing yet,” Zalesky told the Democrat, “but I will. I’ll read the whole paper. I’ve been reading it for years. It’s a great newspaper.” Zalesky attended a oneroom school in Hortonville with about 30 other children. She was there until eighth grade when school ended. Zalesky had always worked on her grandparents’ farm in Callicoon, harvesting hay and rye from the fields, working in the veg-

etable gardens and helping to raise cows, chickens and pigs. She cleaned the eightroom house where her grandparents often rented rooms to visitors, calling it the Main Road House. And once school was finished she began babysitting and eventually started working as a housecleaner around the county. “I have worked hard all my life and I’ve gone to many places,” said Zalesky. “I used to go during the summertime to work in the boarding houses because people stayed a long time and it was good work. “I worked in Monticello cooking and cleaning for one family for nearly six years.” Even after retirement Zalesky kept on the move, volunteering for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) out of Monticello and at the Grover M Hermann Hospital in Callicoon

“I like the news and what is happening locally. They do a very nice job. I think it’s a very welcoming and informative paper, and I think the staff is just great.” Judy Delaine Knight, Narrowsburg and NYC Metropolitan Area

“I love the Democrat because it’s a local paper that covers all of Sullivan County and advertising with them is so easy.” Charity Muzuruk, Liberty

When a New York State Governor wanted to meet people on the campaign trail, he took a… train. This October 17, 1928 edition reports that NYS Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt’s arrival in Callicoon on an Erie passenger train drew a crowd of 400 to hear an impromptu speech.

the same day it opened its doors in 1972 until just two years ago when she was 106. The one thing that she loves the most in life, is spending time with her daughter Ellie. “I spent most of my life with my husband. I met him through his sister. We were together for 57 years,” Zalesky explained. “We had one daughter, Ellie, my wonderful girl. She’s a flight attendant now and she goes everywhere. I can’t tell you how many places I’ve been to with her. I’ve even been to Amsterdam.” “A lot of things have changed in the world since I was young,” said Zalesky. “A lot has certainly changed, but a lot has stayed the same too. “And the Stabberts, my God I know them from way, way, way back and a lot of the people who work there too. They were always good to me.”

“I like the Democrat because I think it covers the local news quite well and with great accuracy.” Jim Lomax, Bethel

“It’s a hometown paper. Its coverage is widespread of not only Sullivan County, but Wayne County as well. It’s an all-point coverage paper.” Marie Smith, Liberty

At 108 years old, Marie Zalesky is still reading the newspaper BY AUTUMN SCHANIL

“I like the Democrat because the power of a local news source like the Democrat lies in its ability to tie together a disparate group of people through shared values and interests. In the era of social media we need a vital local newspaper now more than ever. Here’s to 125 more.” Aaron Hicklin, Equinunk

“I like the local stories about the local businesses and people. And I like looking back down the decades and recalling memories.” Kelly Bonnaci, Smallwood

Sullivan County Historian John Conway lthough most people would be hard pressed to name more than a handful of them today, Sullivan County has been home to more than 30 different newspapers over the years. These include the Sullivan County Whig, the county’s first paper, which began publishing in Bloomingburg in 1821, before eventually moving to Monticello and morphing into the Republican Watchman, and the Evening News, which was for a short time during World War II the only daily newspaper ever published in the county. As unlikely as it might seem today, dozens of communities in the county once supported their own papers,

“I like the Democrat because I like having access to local news.” Sherri Eccleston, Minisink

AUTUMN SCHANIL | DEMOCRAT

Marie Zalesky, of Hortonville, at the age of 108 is one of the Sullivan County Democrat’s oldest subscribers.

“I love the Democrat. My husband and I are faithful subscribers and it keeps us in touch with what’s going on.” Wendy Brown, Horseshoe Lake

125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

125 voices I like the Democrat because I like the upto-date news and local information.â&#x20AC;? Barbara Klar, Livingston Manor

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love that the Democrat is so community oriented and it never forgets about Sullivan County.â&#x20AC;? Pete Maltese Swan Lake

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love the Democrat because I love the hometown news. I love that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s twice weekly and I enjoy having local news coverage on whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on in the County and the surrounding areas. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our hometown paper.â&#x20AC;? George Kinne Roscoe â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like the Democrat because I like to read the front page and the letters to the editor.â&#x20AC;? Gary Maas Cochecton

The February 20, 1958 edition was historic for many reasons, not the least of which was reporting on the Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;easter which ripped up the East Coast, dumping 38 inches of snow on Sullivan County. It also marked the largest press run in the history of the Democrat to that date â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2,800 copies. At right is a feature used by many newspapers back in the day of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hot Leadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; production. FROM PAGE 1C

issues, including a proposal gaining popularity throughout the state to make County Clerks and Sheriffs salaried officials. And the temperance controversy had heated up to the boiling point as a few of the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s towns had voted to go dry and â&#x20AC;&#x153;respectable gentlemen and good citizensâ&#x20AC;? were lining up on both sides of the issue. Whatever the impetus, one of the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most prominent citizens, Captain John Firman Anderson,

who had fought in the Civil War as an officer in Company E of Sullivan Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own 143rd Regiment, mustering out in 1863 to return home to raise prized short horn cattle and practice law, eventually serving as the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s District Attorney, decided Callicoon needed another newspaper. So Captain Anderson financed the formation of the Sullivan County Democrat, which began publishing on Thursdays in 1891. Like most of the papers in the county â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

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125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

125 voices “I like the Democrat because it’s a team of very dedicated people and they’re led by a very great person in Fred. He’s very community oriented. The articles are fair, considerate and balanced. And they stress the positive attributes in the stories.” Darlene Fedun, Liberty

“I really like the support of the local businesses and how the Democrat showcases community events.”

Cathy Paty Bethel

or throughout the nation, for that matter – the Democrat went through a number of editors and publishers during those early years, including Thomas Pendell, S.S. Pomeroy, Matt Collins and William Heidt, Jr. It was under Heidt’s leadership in 1921 that a young Fred Stabbert Sr. joined the paper, and in 1927 he assumed ownership, thus ending the rapid turnover in management. Stabbert remained at the helm, effectively re-inventing the paper, until a heart attack claimed his life in April of 1963. At that point, his son, Fred Jr. assumed command, and he served as publisher until his retirement on December 31, 1993.

Now that’s news! Above, the Democrat front page headline says it all, “Greatest War Ends.” A report by John C. Metcalfe of the New York Herald-Tribune started, “The greatest war of all time ended at 7 o’clock Tuesday night, August 14, 1945. Only the formality of signing the surrender terms remained.” At right, one of Sullivan County’s most sensational stories of the early 1900s was “Melvin Counch Hides Woman in His Office for Three Years!” A former District Attorney and prominent Sullivan County attorney, Couch has a secret room in his law office were he kept a woman for 3 years.

PHOTO BY MIKE BLOOM

“The Sullivan County Democrat has always covered the local news on an indepth and personal level. Rather than just getting a headline, readers get the essence of the story and any nuance. Congratulations on 125 years of publication.” Eric Chaboty, Neversink

CONTINIUED ON PAGE 4C

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SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

125 voices

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3C

Fred Stabbert, III joined the paper out of St. Bonaventure University in May of 1983, and took over as publisher on January 1, 1994, continuing to this day. The paper has undergone a number of changes during the Stabberts’ tenure, perhaps most notably its growth from a Thursday weekly with a circulation of just over 500 readers in and around Callicoon to a twice-weekly publication serving nearly 8,000 throughout all of Sullivan County and northeastern Pennsylvania. Through it all, it has remained an independent, family-run newspaper. The future of print newspapers may appear bleak, as dailies and weeklies from coast to coast continue to fold due to declining ad revenues and reader apathy, but community journalism will likely always have its place. A recent survey by the National Newspaper Association showed that fully two-thirds of adults in small town America regularly read their local paper, and that 40 percent of small town residents list their hometown paper as their primary source for news. Given its strong commitment to the community and the community’s reciprocity, perhaps another 125 years isn’t out of the question for the Sullivan County Democrat.

“I like the Democrat because I like the human interest stories.” Kathy McDoal, Roscoe

“I like the Democrat’s comprehensive coverage of local events and activities.” Mary Paige Lang-Clouse, Yulan

“I enjoy the Sullivan County Democrat because it makes the county a better place to live. It provides us with amazing information about the community we live in and beyond.” Franklin Trapp, Swinging Bridge

“I like the Democrat because it has a hometown feel and it’s small town proud.” Regina Coulter, Callicoon

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

A new invention, called the Aeroplane, was flown 61 miles by Wilbur Wright in September of 1908, and the Sullivan County Democrat had it on the front page. A world record at the time for the longest flight, Wilbur beat his brother Orville’s record. Oh sibling rivalry. At right, it was July 24, 1953 and Route 17 – the Quickway – is getting ready to open. Apparently officials were so anxious to get the road open, they opened up one lane of the bridge before all work was complete. But not to worry, they put boards across the road to slow the traffic down. Truly amazing.

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125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

125 voices “I like the Democrat because it’s a hometown paper that deals with hometown, local news, and the advertising is reasonable.” Andy White, Cochecton

“I like the Democrat because I like the photography in the paper.” Beth Heinle Lake Huntington

During the early part of the 1900s it was not uncommon to find national news on the front page of the Sullivan County Democrat. Weekly newspapers were often people’s main source of news, along with radio, and later television. In the December 11, 1941 edition, above, the Democrat declares, “The United States is at War; Defense Work Begun Here.” The publisher, Fred W. Stabbert Sr., was so flustered by the attack on Pearl Harbor, that he inadvertently wrote Nov. 11 in the front page nameplate, instead of December 11. The dates throughout the newspaper were all thankfully correct. At left, an October 1907 edition talks about opening trade in the Orient and also contained ads on the front page. This is the earliest physical edition in Democrat records. When Fred Stabbert Sr. began working at the Democrat in 1921 there were no records of past editions and he went into the cellar to find every copy back to 1907. We are certainly glad he did. Today, the newspapers are bound yearly and also microfilmed.

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125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

www.scdemocratonline.com

125 voices “I love to know what’s going on and I love to read the community columns.” James Kosier, Monticello

“I like the Democrat because I like that it’s online.”

Tragedy… and triumph. The world of reporting the news takes many forms, from the tragic and heart-wrenching to the triumphant and rewarding. In the top edition, dated August 12, 1913, there appeared much tragedy in and around Callicoon. First a man was run over by a train while walking along the tracks reading a letter and then a falling house crushed another man. There was also a drowning death In the newpaper on the bottom, who could forget July 20, 1969, when Lt. Col. Neil Armstrong said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” The Democrat was there… almost… as staff photographer Jack Niflot took a picture of the infamous event on a black-andwhite television.

Lynne Albee, Roscoe

“My favorite part of the Democrat is the Down the Decades because obviously a newspaper with 125 years behind it has information that can give you a great history of the county.” Peter Pierce, Cochecton

“I like the coverage of the western end of the Sullivan County news along with the local sports section. I always enjoy looking at the Down the Decades.” Sean Nearing, Cochecton

To Freddie and All the employees of the Democrat Thanks for all the great service and good luck for another 125 years.

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FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

125 voices “I like the Democrat because it’s nice to have a paper that focuses not only on local events but historical events. I like the Down the Decades. And I think, for people who have lived here for a long time, the Democrat makes them feel more connected with the county. And for newcomers it’s all the things you need to know about the community. I think the Democrat reflects all that Sullivan County has to offer. ” Petra Muccia Liberty “The Democrat is a Sullivan County tradition. I knew Fred Jr., who was a common sense leader and good friend of the county. And Fred III has carried on that traditon of keeping Sullivan County well-informed with a topnotch newspaper. ” Walter Garigliano Neversink

It was the Age of Aquarius for Sullivan County on August 15-17, 1969 as nearly 500,000 young people attended a concert at Max Yasgur’s field in the Town of Bethel. The concert would come to be known as Woodstock and was one of the defining moments of a generation of young people in the 1960s. The Democrat was there, every day, including Publisher Fred Stabbert Jr., whose trusty Ford station wagon went down Hurd Rd. through a sea of people to the famous four corners and the concert site. Even Fred Stabbert III, then age 8, attended the festival, an historic moment in Sullivan County’s 207-year history. Today, Liberty Cable Television pioneer Alan Gerry has built Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on the site of the former festival, and the outdoor concert venue and museum recently celebrated its 10th Anniversary to much fanfare.

“I enjoy the Down the Decades section and I think it contains useful and interesting historical information and facts. I think that whoever does that does a good job, especially since they have to go through all that information and it’s probably time-consuming.” KC Garn, Cochecton

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FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

125 voices Proud to be a part of “The thing I like the most about the Democrat is that it is so incredibly supportive of the Forestburgh Playhouse.” Jill Behling Padua Narrowsburg

“I love the Democrat because I love the local events and the pictures are always great. It’s very community-oriented.” Diana D’Agati Jeffersonville

newspaper history

BY ED TOWNSEND

ounded in 1891 the Sullivan County Democrat is celebrating 125 years of service. Wow ... what a story ... from a Callicoon-focused weekly to a countywide twiceweekly, this great newspaper has survived and flourished under the continuous great leadership of the Stabbert family ownership since 1927. It's only fitting that I have had the pleasure and honor of writing for the Democrat for so many years of my long and illustrious photojournalism career that now stretches into its 73rd year. Yes folks that 73-years of writing newspaper columns started when I was eight years of age and my uncle Cliff Sprague, one of the owners of the Liberty Gazette,

asked me to start writing a column on the Elementary School Life at Liberty High School. I've seen and done a lot over these years that included having lunch with President Lyndon Johnson, met English Royalty, had many friendly chats with Governor Nelson Rockefeller when he used to frequently visit Grossinger's, and was amazed that he always remembered my first name. Some of my sports coverage included playing golf with Tiger Woods in a media pro-am and bowling with Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III. And who could ever forget working as a member of the press at the 1969 Woodstock Festival. Love what I have done and feel so blessed to have

worked in the Sullivan County weekly newspaper field with great newspaper publishers and editors like Fred Stabbert III, Fred Stabbert Jr., Harold and Clara Schue at the former Liberty Register, Don and Emily Battey at the former Livingston Manor Times and Sullivan County Times-Press, Charlie Crist at the Times-Herald Record and Ruby Katz, Art Sugerman and Les Woods at Southern News York Publishers. When I first started in the Sullivan County weekly field back in the late 1950s there were 12 weekly newspapers in this county, and it was truly dedication by Fred Stabbert Jr. and Fred Stabbert III that brought great knowledge and business experience along with a dedicated staff

“I like the Democrat because they tell the whole story.”

ED TOWNSEND that has made the twiceSome of my fondest memweekly Sullivan County De- ories of Fred Stabbert Jr. was mocrat what it is today – an that Fred and I sort of had a award-winning publication habit of slipping into the that truly gives its readers all publisher’s office during the the news that's fit to print. annual Sullivan County Democrat Christmas Party where we would reminisce about where the weekly newspaper business was today and where it use to be 30 to 50 years ago. Our discussions would always focus on the many weekly newspapers that dotted the local Sullivan County scenery in the 40s, 50s and 60s. Great memories of the past are what we hold close to our heart, and I smile when I see the continued growth of this outstanding newspaper. Happy anniversary, Sullivan County Democrat!

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FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

125 voices

Nine decades later, you’ll still find Fred Stabbert running the paper BY DAN HUST

he year 1927 saw the first solo, nonstop transatlantic flight; the first successful long-distance television transmission; the first feature-length film with synchronized dialogue; and the first road game of the Harlem Globetrotters. It also saw the purchase of the Sullivan County Democrat – then already 36 years in operation – for $1,100 by a 35year-old Fred Stabbert. From there to the present day, the title of “Publisher” has remained attached to that name. Fred Stabbert Sr. had come to the paper in 1921 as a “printer’s devil” (apprentice), leaving his brother Herm to run the family farm their dad Frank had started in Obernburg in the 1890s. “He was probably well-read and very interested in the world around him. And back then, getting out of Obernburg probably meant moving to Callicoon!” surmises Fred III, the Democrat’s current publisher. Known to friends and family as “Fritz,” Fred Sr. never finished a brief stint at Cornell University, but he capably completed the training offered at Milo Bennett’s Intertype School in Toledo, Ohio. That made him a valuable asset at the Democrat – as a Linotype operator, responsible for literally setting the type via hot slugs of lead. Even as publisher, Fred Sr. could be found fixing one or both of the Linotype machines at the paper – and often other local newspapers’ Linotypes. “It was long, hot days,” Fred III relates. “These machines had 500-degree furnaces to melt the lead.” But neither the heat from the Linotypes nor the economic fires of the Great Depression slowed him in the mission to deliver factual, timely, informative news to what was then a mostly Calli-

coon readership. Even as radio and then television entered area homes, the Democrat continued to be a vital source of information, and at the close of the 1950s, Fred Sr. became president of the New York Press Association (NYPA). A heart attack felled him in 1963 – but there was another Fred Stabbert to take the reins. Fred Jr.’s legacy Born in a second-floor bedroom that’s now home to the Democrat’s editorial office suite, Fred Jr. grew up in the family business yet wasn’t necessarily tied to its future. “My dad was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict,” Fred III explains. Stationed in northern Virginia, Fred Jr. kept overhearing a familiar sound on base, one that his superiors at first denied existed. “It was a top-secret press, but he knew what the equipment sounded like,” laughs Fred III. So Fred Jr. put his Linotype skills to work for both the Army (printing daily code

cards) and the nearby Washington Post newspaper. Upon his honorable discharge, he landed a job with the federal civil defense office in New York City, to which he commuted by Erie train from the family home in Callicoon. This was the early 1960s, when the fear of nuclear attack was at its height, and Fred Jr.’s role meant he was on the front lines of the Cold War. “I’ll never forget we had a Geiger counter at the house,” recalls Fred III. The April 1963 death of Fred Sr. forever changed the course of his son’s life. Fred Sr.’s widow Nellie became publisher of the Democrat for several months, but ultimately Fred Jr. decided to give up his government career to preserve and grow the family business. That included welcoming the change that continues to envelop the newspaper industry: the advance of computers. “He saw it coming, and he embraced this technology,” says Fred III. “In 1970, we bought a Compugraphics

Through the Years . . . Here is the list of publishers of the Sullivan County Democrat as researched in our archives. The Democrat urges anyone with additional information on the early history of this newspaper (before 1910) to please contact us at (845) 887-5200. 1. Thomas Pendell . . . . . . . . . . . .editor and publisher 1891. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thursday, May 3, 1894 2. Loughran Terwilliger .May 3, 1894 - December 31, 1901 3. Ralph L. Marks . . . . January 1, 1902 - February 13, 1903 4. Amelia I. Marks . .February 14, 1903- September 2, 1903 5. Harry S. Allison . . . . . . . . . . . .September 3, 1903 - 1905 6. Solon S. Pomroy . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1905 - August 26, 1908 7. K.M. Pomroy . . . . .August 27, 1908 - December 8, 1909 8. Matt T. Collins & Fred H. Young . . . .December 9, 1909 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .November 10, 1910 9. Matt T. Collins . . November 11, 1910 - January 25, 1915 10. William Heidt . . . .January 26, 1915 - February 1, 1927 11. Fred W. Stabbert Sr. . .February 2, 1927 - April 28, 1963 12. Fred W. Stabbert Jr. .April 29, 1963 - December 31, 1993 13. Fred W. Stabbert III . . . . . . . . .January 1, 1994 - present

“I like the Democrat because it promotes businesses in the area. It keeps folks up to date on what’s happening with businesses, especially with the Catskill Regional Medical Center.” Joanie Rollin, Otisville

It was happy days for Fred Jr., left, and his dad, Fred Sr. at the family homestead in Obernburg. machine and entered the ‘cold-type’ era.” Under his leadership, the Democrat grew from eight employees to 28 and in 1980 permanently switched from a weekly to a twice-weekly. “He hired some very intelligent people, including Editor Tom White, who came up with the idea of going twice a week,” notes Fred III. “We tried it as an experiment and never went back.” At the same time, Fred Jr. rose to political prominence. Whereas Fred Sr. had launched one unsuccessful run for the NYS Assembly against popular incumbent Hyman “Bucky” Mintz, Fred Jr. slowly worked his way up through the local Democratic Party ranks, eventually becoming county chairman for 16 years. He even served on the Electoral College, casting one of 41 votes from New York that crucially ensured Jimmy Carter’s ascension to the U.S. Presidency. But he didn’t forget the Democrat, which by the 1980s

was the last of what had once been a competitive coterie of decades-old newspapers serving Sullivan County’s varied communities. “It was very managed growth,” Fred III explains. “Dad could really sense what people would like and want to read.” Fred III learns the ropes Indeed, Fred III had a front row seat to it all, traveling with his father to the Woodstock festival, the opening of the two local hospitals, the creation of SUNY Sullivan’s campus, meeting hoteliers and politicians and plenty of memorable characters. “I just soaked it all up,” he recalls. He also worked in the office – originally simply as a useful, 8-year-old nuisance. “Lillian Neer [the Democrat’s front office receptionist] would pay me five cents for every fly I killed,” he laughs. Over time, he and older sis-

“I like the Democrat because it’s truly a local newspaper, telling us about everything we want to know and about everything that’s going on.” Denise Connolly, Smallwood

“I like the fact that it keeps us informed about all the local happenings and events.” Shirley Weitzner, Callicoon Center

“I like the Nellie’s Corner. I love the small local articles from Monticello, Bethel and Smallwood.” Neelie Lynch, Smallwood

PLEASE SEE 9 DECADES, 2D

“I like the Democrat because it’s a great local newspaper that doesn’t feel like a local newspaper. They cover a wide range of events and I love how community oriented it is.” Brock Lady, Hortonville

An inside look at ‘Fred Jr.’ from a long-ago newspaper chum -BY KATHY DALEY

hey were tough newspaper guys and gentlemen at the same time. The work was rough and they frequently sacrificed their own paychecks to keep the lights on, the employees salaried and the newspapers rolling off the presses week after week. Fred Stabbert Jr. – the second of the three to operate the Sullivan County Democrat down through the years – is not here to tell his story. But his good friend and fellow newspaper publisher Rubin ‘Ruby’ Katz is glad to step up to the plate. “Fred was a real gentleman, a hard-working man,” said Katz, during an interview at his Monticello home. “Those were days of long hours, no time off, and the politicians always on your back.” From shortly after World War II until 1973, Katz owned and printed a host of local weekly newspapers: the Bulletin-Sentinel and the Evening News, both covering Monticello, the Liberty News of that village, and, finally, the Republican Watchman of Monticello. His office was on St. John's Street in Monticello. Meanwhile in Callicoon, Fred Jr. oversaw the Democrat, purchased by his father in 1927. Both Stabbert and Katz were engaged in providing the news so crucial to the life of towns everywhere.

“I like the Democrat because I like the fact that they put the Bethel racetrack results in it with pictures of the local winners.” Tracy Chirico, Hopewell Junction

In March of 1966, Rubin Katz, a Monticello publisher, and Fred W. Stabbert Jr., Callicoon publisher, were among the New York State weekly newspaper publishers invited to the Executive Mansion in Albany by Governor Rockefeller for dinner. From the left are, Ruby Katz of the Republican Watchman, Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller and Happy, his wife, and Fred W. Stabbert Jr. of the Sullivan County Democrat. Crimes and car accidents, babies’ births and friends' deaths, the upcoming penny social and what's doing at

the church and synagogue, how politics are faring – it all gets tossed into the weekly newspaper.

In terms of coverage and seeking the all-important advertisers, “I stayed away from the western part of the

county, where Fred was,” said Katz, “and he stayed PLEASE SEE FRED JR., 4D

“I think from my experience, the Democrat is always very timely in covering crucial issues that impact the local communities and businesses.” Jodie Dawson, Jeffersonville

125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

125 voices “I love the fact that the Democrat is all about us and our little area of the world. I like that it shows the history, the people, and the future of the County.” Nancy Hackett, Cochecton

“I really enjoy the Down the Decades because my favorite part is going back and seeing how far I can remember.” Cindy Odell, Bethany, PA

“I love the fact that the Democrat always represents at all the events in the town. I love that they’re so considerate and want to showcase everyone.” Pamela Mayer, Milanville, PA

“What I love the most about the Democrat is that in a age where everything is digital, there is still a print version. It’s a cohesive feel of small town America and you can count on it.” Allison Ward, Callicoon

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

9 DECADES: Stabberts keep Sullivan County in the news FROM PAGE 1D

ters Mary and Billie were allowed to take papers off the press, help address copies, and run extra editions out to places as needed. (Fred’s two other sisters, Laurie and Kathy, didn’t work at the Democrat in their youth, but ironically they now are involved – Laurie as a copublisher of the upstate Catskill Mountain News, Kathy as the Democrat’s own awardwinning “Lifelines” columnist.) “I loved it,” Fred affirms. “I liked to see how something went from a thought to the printed page.” Eventually, Fred got that opportunity himself, when he was assigned to cover a tennis tournament at the former Kutsher’s Hotel in Monticello. That went so well that Editor Tom White kept sending him out. Thus it’s no surprise Fred chose to study mass communications, graduating from St. Bonaventure University in 1983. “I had the best teacher ever,” he remembers. “Dr. Russell Jandoli, the first graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism.” The newsroom-like experience Dr. Jandoli afforded Fred and his classmates inspired him to seek magazine employment – but he promised to come back to help out at the Democrat for the summer. Thirty-three years on, as Fred puts it, “I’ve had a long summer.” Through those three decades, he’s vaulted from reporter/photographer to general manager to executive editor to publisher, guiding the paper through tremendous changes – more so than in all its prior history. Digital typesetting arrived in the late ‘70s, followed by digital photography in the late ‘90s. The darkroom was replaced by a suite of computers, while the layout tables where reporters and editors used to cut and paste pages (and their fingers) were superseded by iMacs and the Internet. The Democrat was one of the first local papers to have a website (in 1995!), demonstrating the continued focus on keeping pace with technology. “It’s realizing your staff can do a better job if you have the right tools,” Fred explains. Most important to him, he

earned his dad’s pride and confidence, formally replacing Fred Jr. as publisher on January 1, 1994. “I got to work over 25 years with my father,” Fred gratefully explains. “I think he saw my ability to take the paper to a new level, and he wanted to give me the experience of running it.” Fred Jr. took the mantle of publisher emeritus, still opening the mail and walking through the office every day until his death in 2009. “He was always ‘on the job’ for the Democrat,” Fred III fondly recalls. In 2004, Fred followed in his grandfather’s footsteps, as well, and became president of the New York Press Association, where he remains a valued board member. He also served on the SUNY Sullivan Board of Trustees and is a Director of Jeff Bank and an active member of the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development and the Callicoon Kiwanis, among others. But like his forebears, he hasn’t forgotten the family business, and he believes in the Democrat’s future more Above, in one of their last photos together, Fred and Shirley share a loving moment during a big Christmas Dinner. Serving dinners for 30 were common affairs at their Callicoon home. At left: Fred III, left, talks with then-Jeff Bank President and CEO Wayne Zanetti at last year’s Partnership Dinner. Stabbert and Zanetti also are members of the Jeff Bank board of Directors as their fathers were with United National Bank in Callicoon.

than ever. “Weekly newspapers are still doing well,” he observes. “We have a niche and still provide a package that’s important to our communities. “Our website is healthy,” he adds, “but our print product is much more comprehensive.”

That’s thanks in no small part to what he praises as “a great staff who’s done a lot of hard work and created a loyal following. “I also have to thank my entire family,” Fred adds, noting their patience and sacrifice while he’s worked a job that “is

not 9-to-5!” Indeed, Fred has inherited the same love of family the entire Stabbert clan shares. “I met my wife, Regina Sullivan, at college,” he relates, “and I told my roommate the day I met her that I’d marry her.”

Thirty years later, Fred and Regina are the proud parents of Laura (a sales executive in NYC), Claire (a teacher in Rochester) and Andrew (an engineering student at Penn State). True, there is no Fred Stabbert IV, but Fred III is confident his progeny will carry on a cherished family tradition that is more than 90 years old. The Democrat, after all, still has an important role to play. “We’re the heartbeat of the county,” he affirms. “And we have to thank all of our readers and business owners who’ve supported us for 125 years. Without them, we couldn’t have done it.”

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125 voices “I like the Democrat because for a small town newspaper it gives a lot of information. We need the Democrat for our county. It highlights the people and the churches well.” Father Ignatius Vu Jeffersonville “I would say that the biggest thing that people appreciate about living in Sullivan County are our close knit communities. The Democrat supports the feeling of community by reporting the news, providing updates on all our villages and hamlets, and creating and preserving the archive of our lives.” Charlie Barbuti, Liberty

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRED JR: Ruby and Fred built a friendship which lasted a lifetime CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1D away from the eastern part. We didn't invade each other's territory.” Both the Republican Watchman and the Democrat were weekly papers that tended to be about eight pages long. Both were broadsheets, that is, the long, tall style of newspaper rather than the Daily News' tabloid size. “I ran a Republican newspaper and Fred ran a Democratic newspaper,” Katz added, “with the paper leaning politically toward the philosophy of the particular party.” Katz and Stabbert didn’t let politics get in the way of friendship. They were kindred spirits from the get go. For one thing, both experienced the solidity of farm life. Katz was born on his family's first farm near Wurtsboro and raised on the second farm, which was in Glen Wild near Rock Hill. Fred Jr.’s father grew up on

the family farm in Obernburg, and the spread remained in the family until the mid-1970s, operated by Fred Jr.’s uncle Herman Stabbert and his wife Cathy. The two newspapermen enjoyed the outdoors, and on the rare occasions they found to break away from work, they would hunt together and fish. They differed in that Fred Jr., being from a newspapering family, was born with printer's ink in his blood, as the industry cliché goes. Both he and his father attended Linotype schools to learn the “hot metal” style of typesetting. Rubin Katz, on the other hand, says about his entry into newspapering, “I got in by accident.” “It was after my time in World War II, and I was having a beer in Roark's Tavern in Monticello, when a young guy began talking with me. After a while he said 'how would you like to own half a

newspaper?' I told him I didn't have any money. He said 'You don't need it. My mother will finance you.'” It turns out the man was Jack Taylor, a Linotype operator, with an apparently wealthy mother who sought a partner for her son before she'd finance the newspaper called the Bulletin Sentinel. That began Katz's career in newspapers, eventually buying out Taylor and scooping up other newspapers. At one point and for several years, Fred Jr. brought the Democrat to be printed by Katz. “He printed his own until I went and got (a more modern) offset press,” said Katz. “Fred was a very good customer. He always paid his bill.” Both men also put bread on the table by taking in commercial printing work of business forms, brochures, business cards and letterheads. But it was the position of

KATHY DALEY | DEMOCRAT

Former local newspaper publisher Rubin “Ruby” Katz, age 93, operates R.J. Katz Realty from his home in Monticello, where he lives with wife Barbara.

“I think the best thing about the Democrat is that it still remains a piece of hometown culture.” Arthur Glick, Monticello

“I like the Democrat because the coverage is really good, especially the political coverage. Steve Agoston, Bethel

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Ruby Katz’s newspaper, the Bulletin-Sentinel, covered news in the Monticello- Fallsburg area, including the visit by Gubernatorial candidate Nelson Rockefeller in Sept. 1958. At left in photo is Assemblyman Hyman “Bucky” Mintz and at right is Assemblyman Malcom Wilson, Rocky’s running mate.

publisher that offered perks. In 1966, Katz and Stabbert were among New York State weekly newspaper publishers invited by Gov. Nelson Rockefeller to dinner at the executive mansion in Albany. Some time later, the Rockefellers asked the husbands and wives to a special luncheon at the Rockefeller estate in Pocantico Hills, Westchester. Katz's wife Barbara recalled attending with Fred and Shirley Stabbert. “Shirley and I were coming out of the ladies room,” Barbara said, “when Governor Rockefeller was walking by and he smiled and said, “Hiya, ladies!” Barbara and Shirley had also known each other from their days at the Jeffersonville-Youngsville Central School, where Shirley taught second grade and Barbara was art teacher. Eventually Katz sold his

papers to a large company that, after time, closed them. Because he was required to sign a non-compete clause prohibiting involvement in newspapers or printing, he launched into commercial real estate, which, at age 93, he still finds compelling. A growing number of outof-area businesses have phoned him, looking to get a toehold in Sullivan County as the Montreign Resort Casino project moves along, he reported. And Katz continues to be an avid reader of the Sullivan County Democrat. “Look at what Fred III has accomplished,” he said. “He took hold and he’s changed it to a semi-weekly [twice weekly] paper full of news and special sections at a time when other newspapers are falling down right and left. The Democrat is our No. 1 paper.”

Congratulations on a great 125 years! Thank you for keeping Sullivan County strong.

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125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

Entitled to our opinions since 1891 Lifelines BY KATHY WERNER

he Sullivan County Democrat has given its readers 125 years of opinions, beginning with the name of this newspaper. Democrat. Talk about wearing your heart on your sleeve! No doubt in those first issues, there were editorials of support for New York Governor David B. Hill of Elmira (D) who had taken over when New York Governor Grover Cleveland ran for President. In 1891, Hill also ran for and won a U.S. Senate seat, but he did not go to Washington until he had fulfilled his term as New York Governor. A very busy Democrat!

“This is how we make sense of the world, with all its complexity, unfairness, and beauty.”

Opinion columnist Kathy Stabbert Werner with granddaughter Adeline local political races, picking candidates from every political stripe as they try and find the best candidates for Sullivan County. So the paper was founded with a political opinion, and it’s never been shy about giving columnists a place to

sound off. Since its first edition 12and-a-half decades ago, the Democrat has been a place for people to offer their opinions. For 6,500 weeks, Democrat columnists have written about life as they experienced it.

There were always local news stories, of course, about the big snowstorms, the price of milk, and the occasional dastardly deed. But at the heart of the newspaper are individuals letting us know their opinions, from the home-spun to

125 voices “The thing I like best about the Democrat is the local news and the sports section.”

the provocative, political to religious, from local issues to international causes. I have been writing a column for this newspaper since 1977. My model for this was, of course, my grandmother Nellie Catherine Stabbert, who began writing her column “While the Kettle Boils” in 1939 under the byline “N.C.S.” For many readers the “Kettle” was the Democrat, and they would not miss a column. Even now, reprints of her column appear in each issue of the Democrat in their familiar place in the lower lefthand corner of the editorial page, entertaining yet another generation of Democrat readers. For 77 years, Nellie’s columns have run in the Democrat, something surely worthy of a Guinness World Record. I have been fortunate enough to share the Democrat’s opinion space with a wide array of columnists over the years. While my current company is exemplary, I also remember the late Bruce Wells who had a column entitled “In Depth” for many years which explored local politics. Even a young Joseph B. White, who would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the auto industry in the Wall Street Journal, started as a columnist in the Democrat. And local favorite Charlie Crist ended his illustrious journalism career as a columnist at the Democrat. We columnists have all sat at our desks, with pen or typewriter or computer, waiting for that mystical moment when inspiration meets deadline, and we unburden ourselves of our thoughts for the week.

Kevin Esselman Lake Huntington

“I like the Democrat because I like the stories in it that have local interest.” Tom Nuttycomb Narrowsburg

“I like the Democrat because it’s full of local news and community goings on.” Mary Kosier, Monticello

“I love the going back through the years. I love reading about 100 years ago and seeing what happened in Sullivan County.” Mary Jane Covart, Monticello

PLEASE SEE LIFELINES, 8D

SULLIVAN COUNTY

SHERIFF’S OFFICE 4 Bushnell Ave., Monticello, NY 12701 845-794-7100

Michael A. Schiff, Sheriff Eric J. Chaboty, Undersheriff Blake A. Muthig, Chief of Patrol Harold L. Smith, Jr., Jail Administrator & Acting Chief Civil Division YOUR COUNTY POLICE FORCE SINCE 1809

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Congratulations to the Sullivan County Democrat’s Publishers, Editors and Staff for the excellent coverage and advertisements to inform the public for the past 125 years.

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In the early years, the Democrat supported Democratic candidates. In the early days of publishing, newspapers had a very definite bent. I do know my Stabbert forebears were staunch Roosevelt supporters and I remember a huge Harry Truman poster that hung in the barn behind the paper when I was a youngster, but it mysteriously disappeared. Grandpa Stabbert even ran, albeit unsuccessfully, as a Democrat for State Assembly in 1954, losing to Republican incumbent Hyman “Bucky” Mintz. Today, the newspaper still offers its endorsements on

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FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

MONDAY - SATURDAY | 9AM - 5PM 600 MAIN STREET | HONESDALE, PA 570- 253-1520

125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

125 voices

Ed Grund Cochecton Center “I like the Lake Huntington news and the letters to the editor. I really enjoy Eileen’s column.” Anna Story, Lake Huntington “As the Supervisor in the Town of Bethel since 2008, I like the news section of the Democrat. It is always fair and balanced and covers the issues facing the Town accurately. They assist us with press releases, help wanted ads, and legal notices in a timely and professional manner. It’s a great hometown newspaper.” Daniel Sturm, Bethel

BY ANNE STABBERT ROBISCH FOLAND

he Sullivan County Democrat and the building it occupies have been a part of my life forever. You see, I was born upstairs in the room that now houses the editorial offices. July 4, 1926 was a beautiful Sunday and the church bells were ringing as I made my appearance. At the time Mama and Papa lived over Larry Milk's butcher shop. My earliest memory is the day I decided to ride my Kiddie Kar down the long, steep staircase, I can't recall the results but I'm sure I was banged up. When Sonny arrived on May 9, 1928 I had my first baby brother, Fred W. Stabbert, Jr. Mama and Sonny liked to nap in the afternoon so I would go down to the shop and spend time with Papa. It was a magical place – noise and lights and movement – all fascinating to a small child. And to this day I miss the newspaper press, the folder, the Linotypes, the job presses, the type cases, the stones where the paper was composed weekly, even that pot stove where the used type was melted for reuse. Mostly I miss the companionship of my fellow workers. I still see the faces and hear the voices of the men who worked there – Papa, Sonny, Ken Graebner, Art Myers, Vance Hunt, Bill Fink, Dick Coburn, Jack Niflot,

Frank Trinkner, Tom Hubers, Jim McKiernan, George Inman, Ed Callahan, Perk

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and Tim Robisch and others. Dozens of Printer's Devils passed through the shop in-

cluding Martin Rudy, Ron Eldred, Joe Leroy and even Jennie's grandson, Rich

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“I like that the Democrat is comprehensive coverage of the county. Basically, it’s fine coverage of the county and the individuals that make it a great place to live and work.” Jim Kayton, Hancock

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Congratulaations on 125 years!

Congratulations to Freddie and The Entire Staff on your 125th anniversary.

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“I like the Democrat because I like how it covers the local news.”

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Anne Stabbert Robisch Foland

Grossinger. Papa had been hired in 1924 by William Heidt, who owned the paper at the time. When the Heidt family decided to move to Ithaca, Papa purchased the business and the building. With the stock market collapse in 1929 a depression followed. Many businesses failed and it was only through the kindness of Charlie Kautz that the Democrat survived. Once I found a ledger from 1932 and in one month Papa had taken in the grand sum of $12.00. To keep the Democrat operating Papa had to hire a printer just in case someone, anyone would need something printed. The business ran in the red for a long time. The family moved to the Halladay House on Gregory Street in 1934 and my brothers, Edwin Frank and Robert Herman joined the Stabberts. The Democrat was a fullservice shop. Not only was the Democrat published every Thursday, job printing became a mainstay of the business. There was a large demand for feed tags and trespass signs. Programs celebrating events or anniversaries were popular. Before folders were invented little fingers folded all those 4page signatures. Then we walked around and around a table sliding one signature into another to form booklets. In a family business child labor is acceptable and desired. Both Sonny's and my kids inherited those chores. I went to Syracuse in 1943 but only stayed two years. With all the men off to war, I left college to work at the office. When WW II ended the men returned home and romances sprang up like dandelions. Gerald “Perk” Robisch and I were married on October 6, 1946. Our first home was the apartment where I was born. I traded office work for the $12.00 rent. Jake and Daisy Sanders were our neighbors across the hall. With our move to our home on Route 97, the children began arriving and I continued office work part time. A great challenge was the checkbook which Papa had never balanced. Four months later I finally got that checkbook in shape. Someone asked me what I did at the Democrat. My answer? “Everything.” I wrote stories, answered the phone, read the correspondence, proofread all the type and did the bookwork including subscriptions, wages and billing. I also ran the Addressograph and the folder and wrapped singles on publication day. I handset type for headlines and, sometimes, in my spare time, I threw the used type back into the drawer where it was stored. When Papa died on April 28, 1963 Sonny took over management of the business. I stayed on until 1970

congratulates the

Sullivan County Democrat for providing 125 years of service! Community Revitalization • Water/Sewer Environmental Consulting • Bridge Design Planning/Zoning Board Review • Grant Writing Construction Administration/Inspection Green Infrastructure • Recreational Trails Facilities • Recycling/Composting/Solid Waste Ellenville Office (845) 647-4408 | Newburgh Office (845) 391-8360

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“I like the sports section and the election coverage. I also really enjoy the editorials and Eileen Hennessy’s column.”

Long Ago ... But Near at Heart

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“Congratulations on 125 years of excellence. It’s a real family newspaper and part of the Sullivan County community. I go back a long ways with the newspaper and truly appreciate all you do..” Ed Sykes Town of Delaware Supervisor

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Congratulations!

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125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

125 voices “The Democrat is a newspaper which is a credit to Sullivan County and also the surrounding counties. In terms of quality, unbiased reporting and accuracy it is tops. It also has a nice mix between news, sports, homespun news and a family focus.” Phil Coombe III Grahamsville Anne and Perk Robisch ready the press for another day’s work. “I like the Down the Decades. I like to see what’s past.” Jennifer Olsen Callicoon

Keeping a print shop clean was a necessity not only for appearance but also for resourcefulness. Metal chips swept off the floor were remelted to make “pigs” which went back into the linotype to cast lines. In this photo, Anne Robisch, left, Dick Coburn, center, and Ray Salvia do a clean job.

Happy Anniversary!

maining in Sullivan County. All the upgrades have enabled coverage of many community events. I remember the days when there were 12 newspapers in the county but they have all gone the way of the dodo bird. Only the Democrat has survived to continue its service as a repository of important events and a community voice. Two of Sonny's daughters also have printers' ink running through their veins. Kathy Werner writes a popular weekly column in the Democrat. Laurie Sanford publishes the Catskill Mountain News with her husband, Richard. My heartfelt thanks to Freddie for making me a part of the Democrat again. I have come full circle. Congratulations on this anniversary and continued long life to the Sullivan County Democrat. Ann Foland’s opinion column Long Ago But Near at Heart appears every Tuesday on the editorial page of the Democrat.

“I like when the Democrat does the pictures of wildlife. And I love all the local stuff like the Tractor or Trout parades.” Bernadette McAuliff, Youngsville “I like Fred Stabbert. I like the fact that Fred’s carried on the tradition and there’s still a good local newspaper in print.” Ellany Gable, Callicoon

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when I returned to school to finish my Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Freddie (Fred W. Stabbert III) graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 1983 and returned home to begin work at the Democrat. Soon great changes began. Hot type was antiquated and offset printing offered a quicker, less expensive means of printing. Another benefit was the availability of hundreds of type fonts and the ability to use numerous photos to enhance stories. The newspaper is now printed in Middletown. With Sonny's death on August 10, 2009, Freddie has become the owner and publisher. He is well-known for his involvement in community causes and organizations. The busy shop has become a series of small cubicles, each with a computer. For someone who grew up with hot type the silence is un-nerving. The Democrat is published twice weekly and is the only true newspaper re-

Congratulations to the Sullivan County Democrat on 125 years!

Thank you for inviting us to join your 125TH birthday edition.

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125 voices “I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Stabbert family. We look at it as a newspaper and they’ve run a small business for many years and they do it well. The Democrat is successful because of the Stabbert family and because of its coverage of local events. It’s a good paper that keeps you involved.” Tom Bose Youngsville

SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT www.scdemocratonline.com

LIFELINES: IN OUR OPINION FROM PAGE 5D

This is how we make sense of the world, with all its complexity, unfairness, and beauty. We write down our reactions; we evaluate the actions of man and nature; we mourn and rejoice and wonder as life unfolds. We write to find the humor in our daily struggles; we write to reflect on our past and wonder about our future; we write to remember people that we can never forget. Because my Grandpa Fred and Grandma Nellie Stabbert worked as hard as they knew how, and my father Fred, Jr. after them, and my brother Fred III after him, the Democrat is celebrating this momentous birthday. Because they all saw the importance of opinion writ-

ing as a necessary accompaniment to the local news, my fellow columnists and I have been able to practice the craft that has been my family’s work for generations. In addition, of course, letters to the editor have always been encouraged, whereby our readers can offer their opinions to the public. That’s what freedom of the press is all about. Thanks to the enduring legacy of the Democrat, readers have been entitled to our opinions (and theirs!) for the last 125 years. May it continue to be published till 2141 – its 250th Anniversary – and beyond! Kathy Werner’s Lifelines opinion articles appear each Friday on the Democrat’s editorial page.

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

EDITORIAL

Thank you, thank you!

hen Fred Stabbert Sr. bought the very encouraging community of wonSullivan County Democrat on derful people have given this company February 1, 1927, then publisher the ability to carry on for 125 years. It is a milestone which Sullivan County William Heidt, Jr. said, “While Mr. Stabbert scarcely needs an introduction, I as a whole can be very proud of. The staff of the Sullivan County Demowish to say, however, that he has demonstrated his ability and willingness crat will continue to do its part in bringto carry on along the same progressive ing our residents the news, features, lines that I believe are essential to the sports, business news, advertisements success of a rural press and in a manner and special features which have kept that will earn for him the respect and readers coming back – generation after continued patronage of the community generation. And the Stabbert family would like to he serves.” Those words, written 89 years ago, sincerely thank everyone who has made were a foreshadowing of the way Fred the last 125 years so successful. Your Sr., his son, Fred Jr., and grandson, Fred support is certainly what got us here III, have operated the Sullivan County today. Thank you! Democrat. But we must also add that it has been a two-way street Congratulations to ‘The Sullivan County Democrat’ in that a supportive and & the Stabbert Family on 125 years!

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125TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

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