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2 • UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
The Upper Delaware’s fleeting summer silently slid into fall this week. Watching nature’s creatures scurry to stash away winter supplies, we, too, are aware of impending winter. Best to treasure the remaining warm and sunny autumn days to hoard as memories that will tide us over for the frozen months. Our theme for this issue of Upper Delaware Magazine is “local treasures,” like our precious Delaware River pictured on the cover. As always, our guide to exploring the region will include ideas for places to go and things to do. However, we have decided to break the mold a bit by extending the idea of “local treasures” to include people as well. In these pages, we will introduce you to three people whom we deem to be local treasures. We believe you will agree once you meet Joan Wulff, champion fly fisher and First Lady of Fly Fishing; jazz musician Kazzrie Jaxen and her magically talented quartet; and Steve Jacobi, a country fiddler from Northeast PA who’s on a mission to preserve old-time music. Perhaps like us, you will want to follow their appearances in the Upper Delaware River Valley. Taking us into the great outdoors with tips for how to observe and photograph nature’s wildlife, Sandy Long introduces us to natural treasures of the Upper Delaware. We’ll visit a recreational lake on the Pennsylvania side of the river and take a look at how New York City’s reservoirs in the Catskills have been opened to more recreational activities in recent years. Balancing Catskills and Poconos venues, we’ll show you three historic buildings in Wayne and Pike Counties (PA) that offer unexpected settings for entertainment events, educational programs and settings for meeting friends, and show you one of the newest greenest business buildings—Catskill Brewery—in Livingston Manor, NY. We’ll end with a brief nod to the heyday of the grand hotels of the Catskills.
Jane Bollinger Section Editor
Whatever your plans are for this fall season, we urge you to take some time to venture out along the backroads of our region, enjoy the colorful scenery, take a walk in the woods, stroll around a charming village or hamlet, take in an art show or a play, dine out with friends—but whatever you do, treasure what our local region has to offer. We are blessed to have it.
UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
4
Hidden in plain sight By Andy Boyar
8
When the heart soars: Kazzrie Jaxen and her jazz quartet By Helena Clare Pittman
12
Steve Jacobi: Fiddler on a mission Preserving old-time music
OUT & ABOUT
SPOTLIGHT ON
CONTENTS 16
Green technology and craft beer Our writer gets a guided tour of Catskill Brewery By Fritz Mayer
28
Letting the Catskills’ celebrated past inform its future A book looks back to the era of grand hotels
22
Treasures in the Northern Poconos Three stops on Route 6 from Honesdale to Milford By Jane E. Castelli
24
My first time on Lake Wallenpaupack By Isabel Braverman
26
City reservoirs Recreation beckons By Jane Bollinger
Stuart Communications Creative Services
Publisher: Laurie Stuart Section Editor: Jane Bollinger General Manager: Breann Cochran Production Manager: Amanda Reed Advertising Sales Associates: Eileen Hennessy, ext. 35 eileen@riverreporter.com Joanne Geraine, ext. 32 joanne@riverreporter.com Distribution: Would you like copies for your place of business? Breann: 845/252-7414, ext. 21 or trrsubs@riverreporter.com Editorial: Have a comment or idea for the magazine? Jane Bollinger: 845/252-7414, ext. 29 or jbollinger@riverreporter.com
By Linda Drollinger
Upper Delaware, a special publication of The River Reporter, is published by Stuart Communications, Inc.
About the cover: The Delaware River is a local treasure This photo was taken looking upriver at Cedar Rapids. Photographer David B. Soete specializes in outdoors and nature photography in the Upper Delaware River Valley.
PUBLICATION DATE: SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
By Sandy Long
An interview with Janet Burgan
18
Natural treasures of the Upper Delaware Where to go & tips for enjoying local wildlife
A RIVER REPORTER LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
Entire contents ©2014 by Stuart Communications, Inc. Mailing Address:
© David B. Soete
PO Box 150, Narrowsburg, NY 12764 Phone: 845/252-7414 • Fax: 845/252-3298
A RIVER REPORTER MAGAZINE • 3
Hidden in plain sight By Andy Boyar I like the story called “Acres of Diamonds,” which tells of the South African from Pretoria who dedicated his entire life searching near and far for the diamonds that legend and local gossip hinted were nearby. For decades, he obsessively searched farther and farther afield for the gems that would bring him fame and fortune. In the end, he died unrewarded, penniless and broken. His farm homestead was sold at auction. When the new owner plowed and restored the fields, there was an astounding discovery. There were untold numbers of raw diamonds virtually littering the surface of those very fields. The raw diamonds were never noticed, recognized or identified by the old man. A finished gem bears little resemblance to the uncut and unpolished raw form of a diamond. While this unfortunate farmer/adventurer traveled hundreds of miles and searched for decades, there were acres of diamonds lying unrecognized in his own overgrown fields. Sometimes I think that is the story of our river valley. We have many unrecognized gems in plain view that we simply do not see, and there is no better example of a local treasure than Joan Wulff, the First Lady of Fly Fishing. For some perspective on Joan, think for a moment about celebrated sports legends. Lou Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive big league games from 1923 to 1939. Columnist Jim Murray called him a “symbol of indestructibility, a Gibraltar in cleats.” Gehrig’s consecutive game streak was surpassed by Cal Ripkin Jr., nicknamed “The Iron Man,” who set the current record of 2,632. In all the Iron Man played 21 seasons in the majors. “Mr. Hockey” is of course Gordie Howe. Idolized by Wayne Gretzky, “The Great One,” his professional career spanned six decades. Then there’s Kareem Abdul Jabbar (20 seasons), Jack Nicholas (playing for 25 years as the “Golden Bear”) and the great #2 Derek Jeter, now “The Captain,” is finishing a 20-year career. The average career of these sports legends is just over 25 years. Joan Wulff has been the face of flyfishing as a professional for 62 years, and I
4 • UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
Contributed photos
Joan Wulff, champion fly fisher, left, with Sara Low, New York State licensed fishing guide and fly fishing instructor, enjoy a moment together on the banks of the Willowemoc Creek near Livingston Manor.
Wulff wades into the Willowemoc Creek, one of the Catskills’ most celebrated trout streams, on opening day of fishing season 2014.
don’t mean only women’s fly casting. She has authored four books: “Joan Wulff’s New Fly-Casting Techniques,” “Joan Wulff’s Fly Casting Techniques,” “Joan Wulff’s Fly Casting Accuracy” and “Joan Wulff’s Fly Fishing: Expert Advice from a Woman’s Perspective.” In addition, she has written countless articles and columns and starred in a number of casting videos. She is a consultant on rod design to R.L. Winston Rod Company. Today, the Wulff School of Fly Fishing is in its 35th year (wulffschool.com), having been founded in 1979 by Joan and her legendary husband Lee Wulff. Joan is an amazingly gifted teacher. Recently, I visited the Catskill Rodmakers gathering at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center, between Livingston Manor and Roscoe. It is the largest gathering of talent and rod-making skill in the world. I had the privilege of meeting Italy’s premier bamboo rod-maker, Massimo Tirrochi. I picked up one of his masterpieces and was gently casting it to get its feel (practically every rod has its own characteristics and personality, so it takes a bit to get the feel of a new rod). Joan Wulff was standing nearby and suggested a little more firmness on my back cast. Instantly, the rod came alive in my hands and cast like a dream. Joan had identified my casting flaw in an instant, and corrected it with one gentle suggestion. It figures, she has been the master of the cast since the 1950s. In 1948, on the invitation of Charles Ritz, she traveled to Europe for casting competitions. She has a vivid recollection of those events but also recalls the startling difference between Paris cuisine compared to the post-war “food” of London. In 1951, Joan won a distance casting competition against an all-male field using a nine-weight rod and floating fly line. She closed out her competitive career in 1960, when she cast 161 feet. To put this into perspective, we typically cast about 40 to 50 feet for trout or 60 to 80 feet on the saltwater flats. Joan Wulff will turn 88 this October. Like the 88 keys on a Steinway she is in perfect tune and a marvel to listen to or Continued on page 6
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Each dish of the four-course dinner will be carefully crafted utilizing locally grown and locally produced ingredients, and paired with local wines, craft beers & spirits. Al Fresco Dining on the banks of Lake Henneside in Circleville Park will be accompanied by a "rare and unique" wine auction, hosted by Dr. David Ainbinder! Our talented chefs include:
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A RIVER REPORTER MAGAZINE • 5
H IDDEN
IN PLAIN SIGHT
Continued from page 4
watch. When she picks up a rod, everyone stops what they are doing to observe. I have seen lots of casting in my day, including the eight-time World Champion Steve Rajeff, Lefty Kreh, Chico Fernandez, Per Brandin and others, but I‘d rather watch her cast than anyone else. That she is in the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame and the IGFA (Internter national Game Fishing Association) Hall all of Fame and the recipient of countless awards and tributes is not a surprise. She has caught just about every type of fish from sweet little brookies in our Catskill streams to a 572-pound bluefin tuna off Newfoundland. After fishing so many exotic waters around the world, Joan chose to call our Catskillss her home. “Here we have crystal fishing g waters of unmatched quality, a wooded d tranquility and an amazing fly-fishing g heritage, which suits me perfectly. Thee outdoors is my church.” When I asked to interview her for or this piece, she checked her calendar ar and had to squeeze me in around a pending interview for the Financial Times of London. I doubt there is a fishing personality with a larger broadcast of Internet postings or greater worldwide reach than Joan Wulff. Wikipedia refers to her as the First Lady of Fly Fishing (en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Joan_Wulff). And she is right in our own back yard. This is a good opportunity to segue to the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum (CFFCM). Naturally Joan Wulff is the center’s centerpiece, its star personality. CFFCM, founded in 1983, is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to preserve, protect and promote fly fishing. Annually, it hosts or sponsors gatherings forr fly tiers, rodmakers, Trout Unlim-ited Chapters, youth groups, Sum-g merfest, Art of the Angler, Casting competitions and much more. Next up on the calendar will be oHall of Fame Inductions on October 11. The Hall of Fame w a s established in 1989 to recognize those who have made a significant contribution to fly fishing—you know, legends like Theodore Gordon, Lee Wulff, Zane Grey, and more than 75 other luminaries. This year’s inductees are Bob Popovics (saltwater flytying master), Paul Schullery (renowned fly-fishing history author and past executive director of the American Fly Fishing Museum), Col. Joseph D. Bates, Jr. (deceased) (remembered as one of the authoritative fly6 • UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
The Wulff Gallery at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum is used year round for workshops and educational programs.
Fly tyers gather at this recent event at the fly fishing center to exchange ideas and techniques aimed at enhancing their fly-tying skills.
Joan Wulff tests a newly minted bamboo rod, putting it through its paces at a rod makers gathering at the flyfishing center near Livingston Manor, NY.
fishing historians and authors of all time) and R. B. Marston (deceased) (editor a of England’s Fishing Gazette and o tthe person who introduced Theodore Gordon and American fly d fishing to the world). In addition to these four, the Lee Wulff Conservath tion Award will be awarded to John tio Waldron for his remarkable introW duction of thousands of students to du fly fishing. CFFCM has become the world’s largest lar fly-fishing center, and it is likely to be less than an hour’s drive driv from anywhere in The River Reporter’s Rep core readership area. You can discover this hidden gem at 1031 Old Route 17, Livingston Manor, or via email flyfish@catskilll.net, or the website www.catskillflyfishing.org. My final undiscovered treasure is the Delaware River itself, its many tributaries and the river valley. This year, I was fishing Barrel Pool on the Beaverkill when I met a gentleman from Irew land on the river. He was beside l himself with praise for the fishery, h “This is amazing. This river is so “ remarkable, so beautiful and it is r open to everybody!” he remarked o incredulously. It gave me pause to in think. Yes, how very lucky are we th to have the Beaverkill and the East Branch, which it joins. The East Br and an West branches meet just below Hancock at Bard Parker Pool. Then Ha of ccourse there are many tributaries. Callicoon Creek, Basket Brook and Cal the Lackawaxen are the largest, but there the are more than a dozen others of note. not Isn’t it time you fished or floated these fantastic gifts right here in our own backyard? These opportunities to experience the beauty of nature lie right at our feet, our own “acres of diamonds.” Postscript and speaking of diamonds: Years ago my son Adam and I had the privilege of having lunch with Lazare Kaplan at his home in Lew Beach. He regaled us with the story of his cutting one of the world’s largest diamonds, the Jonker Jonk Diamond (726 carats) in 1936 for Harry Winston. The diamond f had been found by Johannes Jacoh bus b Jonker in a farm field in Pretoria, r South Africa in 1934. It was a captivating story that neither of us is c likely to forget. By the way, Kaplan’s li farm fa was on the Beaverkill just a short distance downstream from Joan Wuldi ff’s. ff’ Small world and strange coincidence…. de [Andy Boyar’s fishing column, The Th Incomplete Angler, appears regularly in The River Reporter.] reg
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A RIVER REPORTER MAGAZINE • 7
When the heart soars By Helena Clare Pittman [Author’s note: The Kazzrie Jaxen Quartet—pianist and vocalist Kazzrie Jaxen; drummer Bill Chattin; double bass player, Don Messina; and tenor saxophone player, Charley Krachy—are performing at The Tusten Theater in Narrowsburg, NY on October 4. This article is dedicated to Lennie Tristano, whose mastery theirs descends from.] Charlie Parker and Lennie Tristano are mountain tops of jazz innovation. Tristano’s name may come to you later than Bird’s, after you’ve entered jazz for a while. Unless you live in Sullivan County. Then you will have been directly exposed to that great line of music, complex as Bach. Because Kazzrie Jaxen lives here now, and her quartet performs in the area regularly. Each of their voices is beautiful: drums, bass, piano beating with melody, Kazzrie’s singing soaring, Krachy’s saxophone notes lodging in the heart. Separately and together, so disciplined they become one pulsing, swinging sound that carries you into the dimension of the music’s depth. Kazzrie is the strong leader of this group, and a virtuosic master. Her music feels located in the air somewhere, rising into explorations of heights, but adhering to masterfully controlled structure. Like the music of Lennie Tristano, whom she studied with. You take in this music note to note, ride, fly with it. Explo-
The Kazzrie Jaxen Quartet
8 • UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
Photo by Joseph Squillante
Photo by Tom Bosket
p in the music you leaping off cliffs, being so dee
“Improvizing is like can fly.” Kazzrie Jaxen
rations that are deep and accessible, and include the listener. Swing for body and soul. Virtuosity so exercised, that like all virtuosity, it seems effortless. I fi rst heard The Kazzrie Jaxen Quartet three summers ago, at the Houland Center, in Beacon, NY. Then I caught them whenever I could. I grew up listening to Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt. Rock and roll was playing on the radio. Jazz had gone behind the scene, but it echoed in the instrumental break in every rock and roll song, played by jazz musicians who were crossing over to get work. By 15, I was listening to Sonny Rollins, Kenny Clark, Monk, Miles, Bird, Blakey. By the time I heard Lennie Tristano, I’d understood that jazz had interwoven with classical music, Stravinsky, Bartok, Bach, Prokovieff, Rachmaninoff and influenced Copeland and Bernstein. So did Art Tatum and Duke Ellington. And jazz greats, like Charlie Parker and Lennie Tristano were listening to them all. I listened to Tristano’s music as I commuted 150 miles to work, about the time those yellow magnets were appearing on cars. I saw them through tears. This music is the antithesis of war, I thought. It’s our reach into love. I asked Kazzrie where she goes when she plays. She answers, into an ecstasy. Bliss. The pleasure in her fingers, the notes, the intervals. She’s opening to the joy of it. It’s a kind of laughter, a cosmic humor. She’s in the moment. When you’re improvising, she says, you can’t be thinking. Improvising is like leaping off cliffs, being so deep in the music you can fly. The tune is the core. “You step into the entity of the tune when you play, entering its reality, its world, its parallel dimension,” says Jaxen. Kazzrie was musically gifted; it was in her family— there was chamber music at her house every Friday. Her father played violin and viola. She began studying early.
Don Mesina
Photos by Ted Waddell
At 10, she was presented at Carnegie Recital Hall. But falling in love with practice came later when she worked with Tristano. “Even the scales can be played with your whole presence, with love, joy. You were cultivating all that in your practice,” she says. Lennie’s work was awareness work. Note to note. Being there to hear the note’s sound. In 1978, she played Carnegie Recital Hall for the second time. Tristano presented her. She and drummer Bill Chattin met in college. They became part of a rock band in Boston—making a living. She was studying jazz at The Berkeley School of Music and found Lennie’s music through a teacher who’d studied with him. She called Tristano in Queens, and Bill began driving her down from Boston to study once a week. “Lennie was a very strong presence,” says Chattin, who, at four began playing percussion on his blocks. Chattin’s father brought him to see Gene Krupa when he was nine. Bill knew that was it. He studied classical drums, played in bands early, in a jazz band in high school.
Continued on page 10
www.catskillbrewery.com A RIVER REPORTER MAGAZINE • 9
WHEN
THE HEART SOARS
Continued from page 8
Graduating two years ahead of Kazzrie, Bill went to New York. He auditioned for the band, Valhalla, put together by the road manager for The Lovin’ Spoonful, along with 50 other drummers. Bill got the job. The band stayed together for a year. Then Bill began studying with Lennie. “Forget everything you know,” Lennie told him. They drilled, right hand, left hand, right foot, left foot. Then all the possibilities of hands, feet. Taking it apart, down to the building blocks, until you could rebuild using something authentic, your own voice instead of familiar phrases. “I listen to the tune when we play,” Bill tells me now. “I’m concentrating, listening to the solos, the way they fit together. I’m just trying to enhance it, bring my thing to it. I’m not thinking, I’m responding, letting myself go. Sometimes I solo with Kazzrie, come in on what she’s doing—improvising together. Something that happens spontaneously, Bill says. A way the two interact musically. Bill, Don and Kazzrie played as a trio, during a performance at Connie Crothers’ loft in New York City in 2011. Crothers also worked closely with Tristano. “We connected,” says Bill. “People were knocked out, and so were we. It was revolutionary, a bang thing.” Something happened in Bill’s playing he’d never heard before. Chattin’s playing is spellbinding in its virtuosity. His flowing, interlocking rhythms, pillar to the music. Charley Krachy began studying saxophone at 10. At a school performance, “A 10 • UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
high school kid on alto played a solo. It was the sound, it went right into me. That was it.” He played in the school band, the varsity band, the marching band and at football games. He was invited by one of his teachers to join a dance band. “I was studying the straight and narrow,” he says. He played clubs, weddings, Bar Mitzvahs. The top 40 tunes. But it wasn’t satisfying. The drummer in his group, Pete Scattaretico, had studied with Lennie Tristano and played with tenor saxophone player Lennie Popkin. Popkin had studied with Tristano, too. Krachy went to hear him at a small performance space at Lincoln Center. “It was one of those moments, an epiphany,” says Krachy. “It was his deeply personal sound.” He went backstage to meet him, then studied with him for two and a half years. When Popkin stopped teaching, Krachy nearly stopped playing. But he kept in touch with the community of musicians who were Tristano’s students. In 1983, he made his way to Connie Crothers and began to study. “Forget everything you know,” she told him, and brought him back to the practice of scales. He studied with her for six years, “Nothing but study,” he tells me. Krachy started performing again in 1989. “That began my life,” he says. In 1979, he played a concert with Kazzrie. He’d never yet improvised. Kazzrie played a tune and kept going after it ended. He kept going, too. “That’s where my improvising life had its beginning.” Bass player Don Mesina had a friend who studied guitar with Tristano. Don went along. Lennie asked him to play the bass line. After a few times, Tristano invited him to study. He couldn’t accept the invitation until 1978. By then Lennie wasn’t well. But he recommended Sal Mosca. Don studied improvisation with tenor saxophone player Fred Amend, who had studied with Mosca. He met Mosca at the Vanguard and they became friends. They hung out, listened to music—Tristano and Bird, and began playing together. “Nothing prepared me for the experience,” says Messina. “It was intense, hard, explosive, unpredictable.” They played every weekend for seven years. After Mosca’s death in 2007, it took Messina years to
fully incorporate what he’d played with him. “Sal was pure. I learned integrity, learned to trust myself.” Messina’s cat-gut strings are raised as high off the fingerboard as they can be. It’s harder work, but he prefers it to the distortion of a microphone. When he plays he’s trying to hear the outline of the tune. “I’m thinking of the lyrics, the melody. I soak in all four lines, move with the sound of the time… the framework.” In Lennie Tristano’s compositions I hear parallels with Bird’s, cross fertilization. Parker and Tristano respected each other. They recognized each other as original. Both invented musical vocabularies that have a profound influence on jazz. Unsighted, Tristano’s vision went into his immensely intelligent music. And he saw clearly the gifts in other musicians, and gave those who came to him the tools to find themselves. “Great art is not accidental or by chance,” says Messina. “It comes from years and years of practice, studying, listening, playing and not being afraid to stretch out.” Tristano died in 1978. When I listen to the Kazzrie Jaxen Quartet play, I imagine him smiling. Perhaps a life is a series of epiphanies.
And of road signs that determine its course. Taking their own routes, these players found each other. And we are the beneficiaries. The Kazzrie Jaxen quartet’s CD, “Quaternity,” just released, will be available at the concert at Tusten. On that recording Kazzrie’s fingers dance, playing music in the upper reaches. Don Messina’s melodic intensity pulses. Bill Chattin’s drums are an ocean. Charley Krachy’s melody will steal your heart. These four artists wear their greatness lightly. Come to hear them. Their voices will lift you. When I hear them play, the world, as I know it, falls away. It gives me hope that we are growing. I step into the certainty that everything’s really okay. [The Kazzrie Jaxen Quartet concert on October 4, 8 p.m. at Tusten Theater, 201 Bridge St., Narrowsburg is part of the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance fall series. Reservations are recommended; tickets cost $20. For tickets and information call 845/252-7272. An artists’ reception marking the launch of “Quaternity” will be held following the concert. A special price of $10 will be offered for purchase of the CD.]
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A RIVER REPORTER MAGAZINE • 11
Steve Jacobi, fiddler on a mission Preserving old time music An interview with JANET BURGAN [Interviewer’s note: I was delighted to accept the invitation to talk to Steve Jacobi. I have known Steve for many years and have the utmost respect for him as a person and as a musician. We spoke in his home.] JB: When I wrote you about this interview, you said you were leaving for Canada. Tell me about Canada. SJ: Canada was great. I went to the Pembroke Old Time Fiddle and Step Dance Competition in Pembroke, Ontario. I played in the morning in my class, and I was picked to be in the finals. I played and I won the championship in my class. JB: That’s awesome! How did you first start playing? SJ: I dropped out of high school when I was 16. I found myself yearning to come over to my cousin’s farm (Robert and Kathleen Wood) to work. At that time in my life I really needed some direction and my cousin Bob certainly helped to build a good foundation for my life. Six years later I became friendly with our feed salesman, Fred Williams (founder of the Old Time Fiddlers) who played the fiddle, guitar and sang. My focus had recently switched from popular to country music. I went and bought a Sho-Bud steel guitar for $225, but I had no idea how to play it. So, I went to Adrian’s Music Center in Honesdale and asked Adrian Harrington to teach me. A couple of months later I asked my cousin Bob if we could invite Fred Williams and his buddy Frank Tyler over for a jam session. So Fred and his friends came over and I joined in on my steel guitar. As I was playing music with them I became fascinated with the sound of the fiddle. Fred was playing waltzes, jigs, and reels on the fiddle and I fell in love with what he was doing. And so that’s how my journey started. I went down and got a fiddle from Adrian Harrington for $50. Then I called Fred to see if he would give me a few lessons. Fred showed me how to hold the fiddle and bow, and he started me on the fiddle tune “Maple Sugar.” By the end of the lesson I was squeaking my way through the tune.
12 • UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
TRR photo by Jane Bollinge
r
ys a conversation with Lead fiddler Steve Jacobi enjo rmission at a recent inte ing dur er an audience memb concert.
Steve Jacobi
Photo by Janet Burgan
JB: How did you keep advancing? SJ: My learning tool was the record player—picking the needle up, putting it back down and listening to it. And trying to figure out the notes. It’s the hardest possible way to learn the fiddle compared to nowadays, when all you have to do is go to YouTube videos and just watch how to play. Also listening to the playing of Graham Townsend from Canada, as he was my biggest influence. In the spring of ‘79, Freddie formed The Old Time Fiddlers—there were 11 of us originally. Our first show was held in April of 1979 at the Beach Lake Community Center. The Fiddlers are having their 35th anniversary this year. I started taking it to another level in ‘81 or ‘82, when I borrowed an old reelto-reel tape player from Albert Lind. I took old records, recorded them on to the reel to reel player and was able to drop the speed down by half. I must have learned 20 tunes that winter by slowing them down. From then it’s just been a journey, you know, and I’m pulling people on this journey with me. Like
h anniversary recently with a e Fiddlers celebrated their 35t Tim Old ia’s lvan from right, sideman nsy Pen ast Northe ion fiddler Tim Crouch, second mp cha was st gue ted invi ir special concert. The n. for country artist Alan Jackso
Craig Gehrig (guitar), Dale Teeple (piano) and Jay Brooks (upright bass). Craig, Dale and I have been playing tunes together for about 33 years with Jay joining us the last 10 years. JB: And what do you call that? SJ: Fiddlin’ Around. We started that group in ’92. It’s basically a smaller version of the Fiddlers. I love playing music with both groups, but with the smaller group I can experiment with arrangements and more difficult fiddle tunes. I just love to play with those guys—they’re
really great players, you know. JB: When did you take over the Old Time Fiddlers? SJ: It’s been almost 30 years since I took over the duties of lead fiddler for the group, and it’s been a great journey. The group is evolving before my eyes as we’re becoming more cohesive. We’ve played long enough together that we know what each performer is going to do instinctively. Our youngest players are nine and 13, the oldest 83. The group is Continued on page 14
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FIDDLER
Continued from page 12
ting more and more popular. It really is. JB: What else are you up to? SJ: I’m doing a series of videos concentrating on 100 fiddle tunes, performing them up to speed, and then coming in for close-ups and teaching how to play those 100 fiddle tunes. Showing fingering and bowing and talking about how to play drones and all the nuances of how to play the tunes. I’ve got 86 done. JB: Are you putting them up on YouTube? SJ: Right now I have about five or six on YouTube, but eventually, once I get them all done, I want to donate a set to the Wayne County Historical Society. Maybe somewhere down the road in 50 years, if someone wants to learn to play the fiddle, they can go the Historical Society and there’s an archive of a hundred fiddle tunes they can learn from. You acquire all this knowledge about anything, whether it’s singing or playing, and it would be so great to pass that down to somebody. Hopefully someone can get some use out of all that knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years. So if I can document it and then give it to people to work on, OK, it’s like I’ve passed along something important, in my eyes, anyhow. It’s been a really cool project, but it’s taken a long time to do these videos. I’m a perfectionist, so if I miss
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becoming more and more popular here, as we played many new venues this year. We’re a non-profit organization, so we try to have more events that help people stay interested in keeping the fiddling alive. t’s the Fiddlers’ way—we’re trying to promote it, to keep it alive, and it’s working because right now we have 23 or 24 in the fiddle group. JB: What events do you have coming up? SJ: On October 10th [we’ll be playing] at the Galilee Grange Hall, and October 19th is our season finale where we play at the Beach Lake Fire Hall from 2 to 6 p.m. for our Fall Fiddle Festival. We’ve been doing the Fiddlefest for about 20 years. That’s an open mic for fiddlers. Anybody can go up and play; there’s usually a time limit of 15 minutes, but if you want to go up and play two tunes, go up and play. We just keep circulating fiddle players up for the whole afternoon and it’s a great afternoon of fiddling. With the fiddle group, we’re busier than ever, and I’m proud of all these people who have devoted so much of their time to make this fiddle music important in our lives. I’ll keep it going, you know. I want to let this music be heard out there. And from the size of our crowds, it’s get-
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a note or something I just st start it over again and redo it. t. Some of the tunes are pretty y complex and some are easy, y, so you have beginning to o intermediate to advanced, in n the series. It’s something I’lll be proud of someday to have someone come up to me and say, “I learned that tune from one of your videos.” The quartet Fiddlin’ Around—Jay Brooks (bass), Ste ve Jac Craig I also give private lessons. oustideGehrig (guitar) and Dale Teeple (piano) who is jus obi, t the picture frame—perf orm at the Equinunk Fire Usually I start out with a house. free lesson, just to say, “See if you’re interested, go home, try it, if it’s [Author’s note: to see Jaconot for you, you don’t have any money bi’s fiddle instruction videos, visit invested in it.” But I do love to see people www.youtube.com/user/lizacreek/ learn, and when I look at the fiddle group videos?view_as=public. And visit I see so many of them that I’ve taught and www.facebook.com/OldTimeFidnow they’re becoming better players, and dlers to learn more about this organit’s coming together as a group more. As a ization.] matter of fact, somebody dubbed us as the [Janet Burgan is a singer/song“Old Time Fiddlers Orchestra” because of writer. Visit her website at www. some of the orchestration we have, and it janetburgan.com.] really does sound great.
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The River Reporter’s 19th Annual THE BEST BALLOT IS BACK!
We have revamped our ballot and it’s better than ever! We ask that you simply vote for the people, places or businesses that you think are the BEST. Thank you for your participation and we look forward to receiving your votes. If there is a category that we are missing, let us know! We will publish our 2014 WINNERS in our annual Readers’ Choice Awards “BEST” supplement in January 2015.
Good Luck to all!
BEST PLACES FOR FOOD & DRINK
2014 READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS
BEST BUSINESSES & SERVICES Auto Service Station _________________
New Business of the Year ______________
Bank __________________________
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Child Care Provider__________________
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Martinis_________________________
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Farm Market______________________
Place to Take out of town guests __________
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Locally-made products ________________
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Bookstore _______________________
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Local __________________________
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HOW TO VOTE: Pleast print clearly your choices for “THE BEST” from the categories listed. Best choices are limited to Delaware, Orange, Pike, Sullivan and Wayne counties. You may also VOTE ONLINE: www.RiverReporter.com/BEST HOW TO ENTER: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Additional ballots are available at The River Reporter of¿ce at 93 Erie Ave, Narrowsburg, NY. Ballots MUST be complete and include full name, address and phone number of voter. All ballots must be received by December 18, 2014. Employees of The River Reporter and Stuart Communications are permitted to vote but not eligible to win prizes. Entries that are late, damaged, illegible or missing voter’s name will not be eligible. One entry per person. Mechanically reprouced or Photocopied entries are not eligible. A business, organization or person may win no more than three (3) categories. Winners will be chosen based on the number of votes received by December 18th, 2014. HOW TO WIN PRIZES: All ballots will be included in a random drawing for prizes. Drawing will be held in January 2015. No duplicate winners. BEST Winners will be noti¿ed in January 2015.
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A RIVER REPORTER MAGAZINE • 15
Natural treasures of the Upper Delaware By Sandy Long
TRR photos by Sandy Long
The majestic Delaware River is one of the region’s most cherished natural treasures.
Where To Go?
Some great locations for experiencing local natural treasures can be found at www. trailkeeper.org. Information on county, state and national parks is also available on this website. A few of my favorites are Cobey Pond Trail, Masthope, PA; Damascus Forest Trail, Beach Lake, PA; Minisink Battleground, Barryville, NY; and Tusten Mountain Trail, Narrowsburg, NY. Some of the animals you might encounter at these locations include:
Rabbits
Black bears
UPPER DELAWARE RIVER VALLEY -Nature’s wonders are all around us, even in urban landscapes, where some birds, insects and plants adapt to such environments over time. We seem, however, to be exceptionally blessed with natural treasures in the Upper Delaware River region, from fresh air and clean water to forested landscapes that support a variety of life forms. Experiencing these treasures is truly a treat for those willing to venture forth on foot into forested areas, or to wander via watercraft along the many waterways that enhance our lives here. For certain, one can also encounter many creatures while
traveling in or on a vehicle, but exploring the habitat where they live is much more hat satisfying and connects us in a way that “passing through” does not. It isn’t necessary to backpack into uncharted lands to encounter wildlife or to observe fascinating fungi, grand geological formations, interesting insects, attractive animals, towering a trees, bountiful birds and fantastic flora of all kinds. But it isn’t possible to experience thesee priceless natural treasures without att d least getting out of our armchairs and actually going outside. That said, makee h the most of your outdoor experience with ge the tips in these sidebars. And encourage he others to seize the opportunity to reap the riches of these natural wonders.
In addition, keep watch for BioBlitz events, which provide great opportunities to observe the flora and fauna of regional lands while engaging with scientists. In 2015, the Upper Delaware BioBlitz, which focuses on properties along both sides of the Upper Delaware River, will be in its third year. Nearby Monroe and Lackawanna Counties in Pennsylvania vania also host BioBlitz events.
Tips for enjoying our natural local treasures fully, quietly and mind tion to your with focused atten animals have surroundings. Most ilities that may heightened sensory ab esence before you alert them to your pr that camera on. have a chance to turn y footsteps can Loud voices and heav tering that shy keep you from encoun re hoping to see. forest creature you we
Walk
Learn about the animals sharing our region and share this knowledge with others, especially newcomers and visitors (visit www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/ community/wildlife/9109 or www.fish.state.pa.us or www.dec.ny.gov). Creatures that make us anxious, like snakes, spiders, and even passive animals such as porcupines, often suffer harm at the hands of those who fear them. Porcupines, for example, can not “shoot their quills.” When threatened, a porcupine will raise its quills to create the best possible barrier to being bitten, and may swing its tail at a predator attempting to do so. They are slow slow-moving moving and can be calmly a approached for a quick portrait. with a xperience e r u o y ou ” “Harvestave natural landscapes as yth lant, e camera. Le efit of the p n e b e th r fo y. find them, ans to enjo r other hum fo r o l a im an
Respect the natural rights of wild animals to be wild. An adorable baby animal, should it survive to adulthood, is destined to be “wildlife,” a fitting term that has great significance for how we should view our animal neighbors. Most fawns, for example, are quietly awaiting the return of their mothers, who are usually foraging nearby.
z Aquatic Life
Upper Delaware BioBlit
overreact. When wild you do encounter a lm ca animal, remain as e th as possible and enjoy als im experience. Most an as you are just as anxious unter are when they enco thing you, and want no thout more than to leave wi being harmed.
Don’t
Red eft salamander
16 • UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
Great blue heron
American toad
Enjoy every season for its special gifts. Winter is no time for remaining inside, as the landscape and waterways transform into ice-and-snow-scapes worthy of witnessing with eye and capturing by camera. Spring brings the maddening rush of thaw and vibrant green growth; summer, the full expression of spring’s promises and a textural deepening of the landscape; and fall, the dizzying delight of flaming foliage, followed by the visual poetry of those same trees, stripped bare of their leaves. A RIVER REPORTER MAGAZINE • 17
Green technology and craft beer By FRITZ MAYER LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — “This is one of the the greenest breweries in the world. We use geothermal, solar thermal, recycled steel and green roofing. Both in construction and in our brewing process, we intend leave the smallest environmental footprint possible.” After a tour of the new Catskill Brewery, it’s easy to believe that Ramsay Adams, one of the investors, is right. The amount of green and sustainable technology embedded into the facility is impressive. The parking lot, for instance, is made with a 4.5-inch recycled plastic mesh that is filled with small gravel, and beneath that is 6.5 inches of crushed stone. This allows water to sink right into the ground, rather than creating a lot of run-off. It has the added bonus of releasing a bit of heat during the winter, which is a big help in melting ice and snow. The three principal investors in the gleaming new facility are Adams, who is executive director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, Randy Lewis, owner of Global Natural Foods, and marketing executive Kirt Gunn, president of ad agency Dandelion. They made the decision early on to go as green as possible. Lewis said it was a collective decision, “to make this a bit of a showcase for green technology, and to show our town, our county and the state that a successful local business can also be a green business. We also want make our commitments and our learning about sustainability as transparent as possible. If other businesses want to learn from our successes and our mistakes, we want to help.” He said a website that is coming will show how the green technologies match up against traditional products in terms of cost and performance. There are solar panels on the main part of the roof, and on the rear section of the building, there is a green roof. The structure is covered with 15 different types of sedum plants, which are a type of succulent and once established don’t require watering. David Walton, the general contractor on the project, says, however, the green roof does require the occasional bit of weeding. In any case, the plants provide insulation in the winter and keep the roof cool in the summer. Continued on page 20
18 • UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
TRR photos by Fritz Mayer
The building that houses the new Catskill Brewery in Livingston Manor is awaiting LEED certification, and is touted as one of the greenest breweries in the world.
The brewing equipment was custom made to Catskill Brewery specifications.
A RIVER REPORTER MAGAZINE • 19
G REEN
TECHNOLOGY
Continued from page 18
Inside the building, the green technology continues. The building is made of recycled double steel plates with insulation sandwiched in between. Walton said, “It’s like being in a refrigerator, there’s no heat loss; on a 100degree day, it will be 65 degrees in here, without doing anything, as long as you keep the door closed.” Inside there is a maze of new pipes that are part of the geothermal system, and a solar water-heating system is being installed. Walton said, “We’re going to be able to store 180-degree water, and use that to supercharge other systems in the building, like the radiant heat floor, and [through a heat exchange mechanism] we will be able to heat the brewing water.”
But what about the beer?
All of the green technology, as impressive as it is, won’t mean much if the brewery doesn’t turn out a good product. Adams assures that making the best beer from the best ingredients is the top priority. He and his co-investors considered hundreds of resumés when seeking to hire a brew master. The team finally decided on Ben Brotman, who is noted for his work with The Ithaca Brewery He has created, or is in the process of creating, five different batches of beer thus far; three are on tap and available for people who drop by in person. One that is currently aging in oak barrels is Belgianstyle Flanders red ale, which indicates that the brewery will be turning out many different types of beer. Brotman said, “We have to start by brewing the beer we love to drink. This means our passion will be in the product. You won’t ever drink a beer from our brewery that was made because the market told us to make it. We plan to only make beer we love.” This reporter, who in a previous life made beer in five gallon batches, had a sample, which was right up there with the best this correspondent has ever tasted. While people can buy growlers of beer directly from the facility, the main part of the business is selling kegs to bars and restaurants in the Catskills, the Hudson Valley and eventually, in New York City. That part of the business is overseen by Dana Ball who’s a co-founder, partner and vice president of the brewery. They currently have product in several local venues including the Arnold in Shandelee, and hotels in Andes, Kingston and Saugerties, Asked if he is concerned about competition, Adams replied, “The marketplace looks good to us… Craft beer drinkers do like new, interesting beer products. There is no full-production brewery in the Catskills but us; in re it. 6,000 square miles we we’re it.”
aring its teeth. y is a raccoon be er ew Br ill tsk Ca The logo of 20 • UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
de an exterior the brewery inclu tric car from of ts en em el n an elec The gree which can charge charging station, o hours. tw drained to full in
Customers may pu rchase growlers, wh ich are filled and refilled at the brewery.
ing features
of the build The rear portion a green roof.
Two thick layers of stone and grav el, held in place by recycled plas tic mesh, eliminates the problem of stormwater runoff in the brew ery’s parking lot.
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A RIVER REPORTER MAGAZINE • 21
Treasures in the Northern Poconos By Jane E. Castelli
Here on the Pennsylvania side of the Upper Delaware River we have endless Pocono mountain vistas, sparkling lakes, rivers graced with silver ripples, trout fishing, rafting and speed boating on Lake Wallenpaupack. Any of these things could provide days of fun and outdoor activity. However, there is another side to our home. We have fabulous centers for performance and musical entertainment, artistic and cultural events, and educational development. Among these places, three gems stand out. Two of these treasures are relatively newly developed enterprises, which are also the product of careful renovations of historic buildings. In both cases cultural enrichment was one of the major goals of the developers. These treasures are The Cooperage in Honesdale and the Silk Mill in Hawley. The other gem I want to highlight is Grey Towers in Milford, a conservation forest preserve.
The Cooperage
1030 Main St.
The Cooperage opened in June of 2012. It is aptly named for the old building’s original purpose—the site of a 19th century barrel maker’s factory. In those days a barrel maker was called a cooper. The building had been neglected since 1970, when a mid-20th-century car dealership closed. Current owners Pennell Whitney and Edward Cremo completed a challenging “green” renovation of the building, installing its first water and sewer hookup and adding a renewable energy heating system. They retained the original brick walls, which add charm and character to the site. They position The Cooperage as a place for performance art that will be “interesting to a wide audience,” a place “for learning for all ages” and finally as a place for community events.
22 • UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
Honesdale
PA
The website (thecooperageproject.org) shows that the fall schedule contains a mix of events, including these in October. Some are: Every Wednesday: Mid-week Farmers’ Market (4 to 6 p.m.) Wed., Oct. 8: “Open Mic at the Cooperage” from 7 to 10 p.m. This event will be led by The Crackers and the audience members can join in and share their own performance skills. Fri., Oct. 10: “Sounds Like Teen Spirit”— a special open mic for teens from 7 to 10 p.m. Sun., Oct. 12: Performance by folk music personalities Ellis and Honor Finnergan, starting at 4 p.m. Thurs., Oct. 16: Family Game Night from 6 to 9 p.m.—Scrabble, Twister, Chess, Checkers and a whole host of popular new-fangled board games to learn—your call! Fri., Oct. 24: Contra dancing (traditional American set folk dancing) from 7:30 to 10 p.m Sat., Oct. 25: Halloween Benefit Bash by The Cooperage and Wayne Co. Arts Alliance. Fri., Oct. 31: Concerts in the Coop
The Hawley Silk Mill As you travel along Route 6 in Hawley, you will find the Silk Mill on Route 6. It is easy to spot because it looks like a giant grey medieval castle. Built in 1880, the Bellemonte Silk Mill functioned as a working silk mill until 1956. Then it became an underwear factory, a Kinney shoe factory, and in 1990 Castle Antiques & Reproductions. In 2009. the Genzlinger family (owners of The Settlers Inn in Hawley) and their financial partners purchased it, and lovingly updated and renovated the building, creating a home for Lackawanna College, boutiques and shoppes, art galleries and entertainment productions. The two top floors are dedicated to Lackawanna College’s Lake Region Center in Hawley, where local students can now enroll in degree and certificate programs. In the basement, the old boiler room has been repurposed as an intimate nightspot and performance center where Harmony Presents showcases exciting live performances ranging from Americana, funk, rock and comedy to classic theatre and more.” (www.silkmillharmony.com). October’s headliners include: Thurs., Oct. 4: Lyle Divinsky, Soul and R&B music Wed., Oct. 10: Magic with Denny Corby Thurs., Oct. 11: Singer/songwriter Mike Mizwinski Thurs., Oct. 18: Hawley Harvest Hoedown folk and bluegrass concert Thurs., Oct. 25: Roosevelt Dime with classic Mississippi New Orleans soul and neo folk tunes.
Nearby, the original cocoon building that had been used for silkworm production has been transformed into a charming coffeehouse. It also serves as a performance center on the First Friday of each month when Harmony Presents hosts an Open Mic session for aspiring musicians. Sign up at 6:30; performance from 7 to 9 p.m. The rest of the Mill is filled with interesting nooks and crannies. Here you will find The Looking Glass Gallery (www. lookingglassartgallery.com.), which is curated by artist Juan Espino, who gave me a personal tour of the building. As you enter the first floor, Sicklers Bike and Sport Shop is on your right. Near the entry is the Mill Market, which specializes in local fresh organic foods, specialty cheeses from Calkin’s Creamery, and craft beers, grass-fed meats and some prepared foods. Everything in the Mill Market is sourced from within 200 miles of Hawley. In the hall there was also a table display with lovely bath and body products by Mary Fritz of Waterpure. Further down the hall is Art on the Edge, which displays stunning contemporary art, and also offers pottery, boutique fashions and decorating items from Van Gorders Furniture, Woodloch Pines resort gift shop, Lisa B boutique, and the Potting Shed shop at Settlers Inn. At the end of the hall is Lake Region Fitness Center, a full-service gym.
Grey Towers National Historic Site The third gem I found in our area is Grey Towers, in Milford, the legacy of the Gifford Pinchot family. Gifford Pinchot’s life was dedicated to conservation and preservation of our natural environment. His parents built Grey Towers as the family summer home in 1886, and young Gifford learned to love the environment and appreciate nature when he spent his summers there as a boy. In 1963 his son donated the 102-acre property and its massive Victorian mansion to the U.S. Forest Service. Gifford had founded the U.S. Forest Service, and also had twice served as governor of Pennsylvania. During the fall through November 1, st there are daily guided tours of the first floor between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on n the hour. On Saturdays and Sundayss through October 26, there will be spe-cial guided tours of all three floors off the house at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
On Saturday, October 18 at 1:30 p.m., there will be a special tour titled “Evolution of the Grey Towers Landscape: Autumn in Cornelia’s Gardens.” And for Halloween, you can treat yourself to the sounds of Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry in a dramatic reading that will be presented on October 31 from 6 to 9 p.m. Scary stuff on a scary day! The website for events is www.fs.fed.us/wo/gt/ publications/2014EventCalendar.pdf. Information on grounds tours is posted on the website. There are also programs for schoolchildren. Educators can take their classes to special events, which are tailored to the Pennsylvania curriculum requirements for various grade levels.
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A RIVER REPORTER MAGAZINE • 23
My first time on Lake Wallenpaupack By ISABEL BRAVERMAN
Photos by Isab
el Braverman
kayaks ed, paddled in , myself includ Spinelli of the Lake le op pe 10 A group of d by Nick npaupack, le District. on Lake Walle Watershed Management ck pa Wallenpau
Being a local gal, you would think I’d have been to o Lake Wallenpaupack before. However, in my time off living here, I have no recollection of ever being there. Alll I really knew about it was that it’s a tourist destination n and was featured on an episode of “The Office.” Thatt is, until a recent early evening in fall, when I joined d Nick Spinelli of the Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed d Management District for a paddle on the lake. The leavess were on their way to changing into reds and orangess and there was a slight chill in the air, but it still feltt almost like a summer night. Spinelli took a small group of us out on the lakee in kayaks and paused to tell us some interesting g information about Lake Wallenpaupack (did you know w there used to be a town there? I didn’t!) A few of us rented d kayaks from Northeast Wilderness Experience (NEWE)) of Honesdale, PA. The store is located at 1201 Main St. and it offers equipment rentals and guided adventures. I especially liked my bright red kayak, and felt absolutely joyful as I paddled through the water. Pennsylvania Power and Light (PPL) built Lake Wallenpaupack in 1926 as a hydroelectric project. From many spots on the lake you can see the huge hydro-electric dam, with a sign warning to “Keep Back 500ft.” Lake Wallenpaupack is located in the heart of the Northern Pocono Mountains and is a year-round tourism and outdoor recreation destination. I asked Spinelli if most of the people who live there are year round or own vacation homes. He said it’s about 50/50. Surprisingly, PPL owns most of the lake’s shoreline. The Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District is a non-profit organization that protects, PPL owns Lake Wallenpaupack, and built this dam to generate maintains, and enhances the water quality of the lake. hydroelectricity. Spinelli said their main task is to keep pollution from entering the lake. Every day, the lake faces the threat The paddle attracted a diverse group. There were of pollution from sources such as stormwater and college students, a mother and young son, and two agricultural runoff, stream-bank and lakeshore erosion, couples. It was expertly and entertainingly overseen invasive species, malfunctioning sewage disposal and by Jenna Wayne, the education and public outreach chemical runoff. They don’t filter the water or use coordinator at PPL Lake Wallenpaupack. PPL holds chemical applications; rather, they control pollution by many outdoor and environmental events, like guided stopping it at its source. The group also monitors the hikes, kid’s educational events and much more. I was quality of the water, and on our paddle, Spinelli showed super impressed with their facilities and glad I finally got us how they do this by dipping an instrument in the to see it, after hearing so much about their events and water with a weight attached to take a sample of water programs. Lake Wallenpaupack offers many outdoors from the bottom of the lake. adventures, from boating and fishing to camping, Now, back to that story about the town under the hiking and swimming. lake. The town was called “Wilsonville,” named after After our skilled guide brought us out on the lake, we James Wilson, one of the signers of the Declaration of began to paddle back to shore, the sun setting behind the Independence. The Lenape Indians named the area dense trees on shore, creating the perfect light. “Wallenpaupack,” which means “The Stream of Swift and Slow Water.” The town was purchased by PPL PPL Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center: and a dam was built to flood the town (all the houses 126 PPL Drive, Hawley, PA and buildings were taken down beforehand). However, www.pplpreserves.com/preserves/lake-wallenpaupack. remnants of the town remain, such as parts of roads and 570/253-7001. a bridge, as well as fully intact trees. Spinelli, who is part Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District: of a dive team, said it’s eerie to swim under the water 129 PPL Drive, Hawley PA and suddenly encounter a forest. He also said they have www.wallenpaupackwatershed.org. 570/226-3865. found many sunken boats. He said there is a myth that a Northeast Wilderness Experience (NEWE): church still remains under the water, and on a quiet day 1201 Main St, Honesdale, PA with no wind you can hear the church bell ringing (not www.newildernessexperience.com. 570/352-3444. true, he says).
24 • UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
A couple paddles on Lake Wallenpaupack at a guided paddle hosted by PPL Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center.
ter sample from Lake
to take a wa Nick Spinelli explains how Wallenpaupack.
Lake Wallenpaupack by the numbers
13 miles long 60 feet at its maximum depth 52 miles of shoreline 5,700 acres of water 3rd largest lake in Pennsylvania 4 hiking trails 5 camping areas
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A RIVER REPORTER MAGAZINE • 25
City reservoirs As recreational destinations
By JANE BOLLINGER New York City owns approximately 200,000 acres of water-supply lands in Upstate New York to meet the drinking water needs of the 9.4 million who live in the metropolis and additional upstate areas. Until recent years, public access to these upstate watershed lands and the approximately 34,000 acres of reservoirs was mostly prohibited. In 2008, however, New York City’s (NYC) Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), developed a pilot program to try out recreational boating on the Cannonsville Reservoir (supplied by the West Branch of the Delaware River). The program’s success subsequently led to the opening of three other cityowned water supply reservoirs to recreational boating in May 2012. These include the Neversink Reservoir (supplied by the Neversink River), Pepacton Reservoir (supplied by the East Branch of the Delaware River) and Schoharie Reservoir (supplied by the Schoharie Creek). “The goal of the program is to expand regional recreational opportunities for watershed residents and visitors and promote environmentally sound economic development” (www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/recreation/boating.shtml). To participate in this program, persons need to apply for and receive a free DEP Access Permit to enter city-owned recreational lands; these are posted with “entry by permit” signs; the permit can be applied for online and printed out (Go to www.nyc. gov/html/dep/html/recreation/access.shtml and click on “access permit system” link). Of 120,000 acres that feed the NYC reservoir system directly, 60,000 acres in the watershed are public access and require no permit. Finally, keep in mind that much of the property in the NYC reservoir watershed is privately owned and unauthorized entry results in trespass. BOATING & FISHING Boating on the four reservoirs is allowed only between sunrise and sunset, and the permitted season ends on Columbus Day. All boaters must wear personal flotation devices (PFDs, aka life jackets). In addition to the DEP Access Permit, a DEP Recreational Boat Tag (temporary tag or tag for the season) is required, and a New York State fishing license if one is fishing. Further, boats must be steam cleaned by a DEP-approved steam cleaning vendor who may charge a fee for this service. This is to prevent unwelcome and harmful species from entering these pristine bodies of water. Note: You can find a list of steam-cleaning vendors on a map in the following brochures, one for each of the four designated reservoirs: CANNONSVILLE www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/ recreation/Cannonsville_Boating_Brochure.pdf PEPACTON www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/recreation/ Pepacton_Boating_Brochure.pdf NEVERSINK www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/recreation/ Neversink_Boating_Brochure.pdf SCHOHARIE www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/recreation/ Schoharie_Boating_Brochure.pdf
The maps also identify locations of boat (and sailboat) launches, other public access points, locations to rent boats, as well as designated hunting areas. 26 • UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
Note that the free DEP Access Permit is required for fishing from the shoreline and for hiking in designated areas. Finally, NYC DEP is working to release a list of licensed outdoor tour and certified fishing guides online. In the meantime, names of guides can be obtained by calling 800-575-LAND. HIKING Most hiking is allowed only in designated hiking areas that are usually distant from the reservoirs. Keep in mind that most of the land in the watershed is privately owned and not open to hikers. In addition, one cannot hike around the reservoirs, although the shorelines and some adjoining lands are open for fishing, and, in some cases, hunting. Hikers are advised to avoid hunting areas and must wear safety orange during hunting seasons. A list of areas open for hiking is available at www. nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/recreation/open_rec_areas. pdf. DEP continues to work with non-profit organizations like Catskill Mountain Club to create more hiking trails following the success of the 5.3-mile hiking trail at Pepacton Reservoir (www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/ press_releases/13-092pr.shtml). The trailhead is located just off Route 30, across from the Shavertown Bridge Boat Launch on the Pepacton Reservoir in the Town of Andes.
[Note: NYC DEP permit required for all four reservoirs. Rowboats only; must be registered and inspected by NYC DEP. No motors allowed. Ice fishing prohibited. On Neversink Reservior: day-use kayaking and non-motorized sailing allowed after NYC DEP-approved disinfection and registration.]
Cannonsville Reservoir
Area: 4,703 Acres Shoreline length: 61.1 miles Length: 12 miles Max depth: 121 feet Town: Tompkins, Deposit Access: Numerous NYC DEP-designated boat launches. Majority of shoreline is accessible through NYC DEP land. Fish species: alewife, brown trout, brook trout, chain pickerel, common carp, golden shiner, emerald shiner, fallfish, longnose sucker, white sucker, yellow bullhead, brown bullhead, margined madtom, rock bass, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch, slimy sculpin Fishing: The reservoir is most popular for its brown trout and smallmouth bass fishery. The panfishing can be decent at times. Stocked annually with approximately 6,500 to 7,000 eight- to nine-inch brown trout. Ice fishing is prohibited.
Neversink Reservoir
Area: 1,471 acres Shoreline length: 17.6 miles Length: 5 miles Max depth: 160 feet Town: Neversink Access: Numerous NYC DEP-designated boat launches. Majority of shoreline is accessible through NYC DEP land. Fish Species: alewife, brown trout, brook trout, landlocked Atlantic salmon, chain pickerel, golden shiner, white sucker, brown bullhead, rock bass, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, fallfish Fishing: Neversink Reservoir is most popular for its brown trout and landlocked Atlantic salmon, but don’t overlook the smallmouth bass that can provide some good action. The reservoir is stocked annually with approximately 3,200 eight- to nine-inch brown trout and 3,000 six- to eight-inch landlocked Atlantic salmon.
Pepacton Reservoir
Area: 5,763 acres Shoreline length: 50.7 miles Length: 17 miles Max Depth: 160 feet Town: Colchester, Andes Aquatic Plant Life: Limited rooted aquatic vegetation. Access: Numerous NYC DEP-designated boat launches. Majority of shoreline is accessible through NYC DEP land. Fish Species: alewife, rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, rainbow smelt, chain pickerel, common carp, eastern silvery minnow, golden shiner, spottail shiner, bluntnose minnow, fallfish, longnose sucker, white sucker, white catfish, brown bullhead, channel catfish, margined madtom, rock bass, redbreast sunfish, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, lLargemouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch, walleye Fishing: The reservoir is most popular for its brown trout and smallmouth bass fishery; both species are caught annually at trophy sizes. Channel catfish are being caught with more consistency in recent years. The panfish population is abundant. Stocked annually with approximately 8,000 to 9,000 eight- to nine-inch brown trout.
Schoharie Reservoir
Area: 1,112 acres Shoreline Length: 14.8 miles Length: 4 miles Max Depth: 120 feet Town: Gilboa, Conesville Aquatic Vegetation: Minimal rooted aquatic vegetation. Access: Numerous NYC DEP-designated boat launches. Majority of shoreline is accessible through NYC DEP land. Fish Species: alewife, cisco, rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, chain pickerel, common carp, golden shiner, emerald shiner, common shiner, spottail shiner, spotfin shiner, bluntnose minnow, rudd, white sucker, brown bullhead, white perch, rock bass, pumpkinseed, bluegill, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch, walleye. Fishing: Schoharie Reservoir is most popular for its walleye fishing, but don’t overlook the trout and abundant panfish population that can provide some good action. The reservoir is stocked annually with approximately 1,500 to 2,000 brown trout, eight to nine inches in length; and 20,000 walleye, one to two inches in length. A free opening reception for the new exhibition “Celebrating Catskill Waters: Past and Present” will be held on Thursday, October 9 at 4:30 p.m. at the Time and the Valleys Museum, 332 Main St. (State Route 55), Grahamsville, NY. Over 35 individuals, museums, historical societies and municipalities in Sullivan County joined together to create this exhibition, which includes photos, video, artifacts and activities celebrating Catskill waters in Sullivan County. Regular admission to the museum is by suggested donation: $5 adults, $2 children, children under 6 are admitted free. For more information, call 845/985-7700, or visit timeandthevalleysmuseum.org.
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559-7583 A RIVER REPORTER MAGAZINE • 27
Letting the Catskills’ celebrated past inform its future By LINDA DROLLINGER “Welcome Back to the Catskills,” the title of Oscar Israelowitz’s 2002 book and slideshow presentation this summer at the E.B. Crawford Library in Monticello, NY sounded like a Route 17 billboard slogan coined by the Sullivan County Visitors Association. In reality, the book is the story of Jewish immigrants who colonized the western Catskills in the first half of the last century and how they built a world-class tourist industry. The Catskills resort industry developed, grew and flourished during one of the most tumultuous periods in American history, surviving Prohibition, two world wars, the Great Depression and a series of life-threatening epidemics (polio, tuberculosis, typhoid fever and Spanish influenza), any one of which could have decimated the industry. Israelowitz examines what lay behind that resilience, paying thoughtful attention to the infrastructure bolstering it, transportation facilities in particular. Tracing the evolution of the Borscht Belt, beginning with the Spanish Inquisition of 1492 and the subsequent migration of Jews from Spain and Portugal to the New World, Israelowitz recounts how, in 1654, a group of 23 Jews from the Caribbean islands made its way to the southern tip of Manhattan and established a community there from which the Catskill hotel entrepreneurs would emerge. With fabulous vintage photos and ephemera galore, the book tracks the ironic success of a failed agricultural experiment that proved necessity to be the mother of invention. Around the turn of the 20th century, a group of Jewish immigrants left the tenements of New York City and began to farm in the Catskills. Says Israelowitz, “A triangular area with sides of about 20 miles each, with Route 209’s Wurtsboro through Ellenville and Kerhonkson on the east and Woodbourne through Woodridge and Mountaindale on the west, was said to have supported 1,000 Jewish farm households.” Income from the farms often being insufficient to pay mortgages and property taxes, the farmers were forced to take in paying guests during the summer and to work at manufacturing jobs in the city during the winter. While in the city, the farmers recruited summer boarders, luring them with the prospect of fresh food and fresh air. This was the modest and inadvertent beginning of the great Catskills hotel industry. From there, Israelowitz’s book chronicles the saga of down-to-earth people who elevated hospitality to an art form and practiced it not only as a business, but also as a way of life. From the farmers and boardinghouse owners who welcomed strangers into their homes to the great hoteliers like Jennie Grossinger, who is said to have Continued on page 30
28 • UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
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A RIVER REPORTER MAGAZINE • 29
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CATSKILLS CELEBRATED PAST Continued from page 28
known each of her guests by name, oldfashioned hospitality delivered from the heart was the order of the day. The epilogue of Israelowitz’s book sadly acknowledges the passing of the great hotels’ era, yet fails to explore the myriad reasons behind it. It does end on an upbeat note, however, observing that, “One very good thing is happening at the site of a Jewish dairy farm owned by Max Yasgur… A new Arts and Entertainment Center is being built on the site of the Woodstock Music festival.”
Maybe it’s time for a sequel that discovers the legacy of the great Catskills tourist industry of yesteryear and the contemporary hospitality industry springing up in its wake. [An architectural consultant by profession, Oscar Israelowitz is the author of several books. He also conducts guided tours of New York City and the Catskills. To contact him, to purchase any of his books, or to arrange one of his guided tours, see www.israelowitzpublishing.com.]
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489 Rt. 52 • P.O. Box 57, Woodbourne, NY 12788 845-436-1910 • Fax: 845-434-8763 russ@misnerbenefits.com
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Inc.
YOUNGSVILLE, NY •845-482-4646 www.ClearRitePools.com
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CUSTOM RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL INGROUND POOLS VINYL LINER SPECIALISTS OPENINGS, CLOSINGS & MAINTENANCE COMPLETE RENOVATIONS PUMPS, FILTERS & HEATERS SPA & HOT TUB REPAIRS (ALL MAKES & MODELS)
he Red
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1732 Bethany Turnpike, Pleasant Mount, PA 18453
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570-448-2130
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 11 AM- 2 AM
Fax 570-448-9430
30 • UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE
HUZ\
Domesticities & The Cutting Garden 4055 STATE ROUTE 52 YOUNGSVILLE, NY 12791 phone 845.482.3333 www.thecuttingarden.org
Plan Serendipity.
Explore the arts ART GALLERIES Pennsylvania Art on the Edge at the Hawley Silk Mill, 8 Silk Mill Dr. Hawley, artontheedgepa@gmail.com The ARTery Fine Art & Fine Craft Gallery, 210 Broad St. Milford, www. arterygallerymilford.com, or 570/409-1234
The Artisan Exchange, 219 Broad St., Milford, www.theartisanexchange. com, or 570/296-5550 Golden Fish Gallery, 307 Broad St., Milford, www.goldenfishgallery.com, or 570/296-0413 Highlands Photographic Guild, 224 Broad St., Milford www. highlandphotoguild.com or 570/296-2440 Looking Glass Gallery, 221 Main Ave., Hawley, www.lookingglassartgallery. com, or 570/226-0782
PaPA (Parker and Parker Art), 747 Texas-Palmyra Hwy., Honesdale, PA www.parkerandparkerart.com, or 570/296-5055
The Willow River Gallery & Café, 118 Willow Ave., Honesdale, www. willowrivergallery.com/contact.htm, or 570/253-3013
Wayne County Arts Alliance Gallery, 1023 Main St., Honesdale waynecountyartsalliance.org , or 570/851-2550
New York Delaware Arts Center, Alliance Gallery and Loft Gallery, 37 Main St., Narrowsburg, NY www.artsalliancesite. org or call 845/252-7576 The River Gallery, The Art of Living, 8 Main St., Narrowsburg, NY; www. rivergalleryny.com, or call 845/ 252-3238 Catskill Art Society, 48 Main St., Livingston Manor, NY 845/436-4227 Liberty Museum and Arts Center, 46 S. Main St., Liberty, NY www. libertymuseum.com , or 845/292-2394 Rolling River Gallery, 25 Cooley Rd., Parksville, NY www.rollingriver.net, or 845/747-4123 Up Front Exhibition Space, 31 Jersey Ave., Port Jervis, NY www. upfontexhibitionspace.blogspot.com, or 845/856-2727 Red Eft Gallery, 159 Sullivan St., Wurtsboro, NY, www.redeftgallery.com, or 845/888-2519 Stray Cat Gallery, 2032 Rte. 17B, Bethel, NY www.straycatgallery.com, or 845/423-8850
The Wurtsboro Arts Alliance Gallery, 73 Sullivan St., Wurtsboro, NY waagallery.org
PERFORMANCE SPACES, THEATRES AND PLAYHOUSES Bethel Woods Center for the Arts/Event Gallery, Bethel, NY www. bethelwoodscenter.org (The) Cooperage, Honesdale, PA www.thecooperageproject.org Forestburgh Tavern, Forestburgh, NY, www.forestbirghtavern.com (Shows Sat., Sept. 27, and weekends Oct. 3 & 4, 10 & 11) Harmony Presents at the Silk Mill, Hawley, PA, www.silkmillharmony.com NACL Theatre, Highland Lake, NY, www.nacl.org or 845/557 0694 Parksville Music Festival, Parksville, NY 845/292-0400, www.parksvilleusa.com Ritz Company Playhouse, Hawley, PA, ritzplayhouse.com or 570/226-9752 (Season finished; however, free Christmas show for children) Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop, www.scdw.net 845/436-5336 (Winter home at Hurleyville Museum) Tusten Theatre and Krauss Recital Hall, Narrowsburg, NY 845/252-7272
MUSEUMS Dorflinger Glass Museum, 37 Suydam Dr., White Mills, PA, www.dorflinger.org/glass_ museum.html or 570/253-1185 (Open Wed. to Fri. thru Oct., weekends thru Nov.) Equinunk Historical Society, 1972 Pine Mill Rd., Equinunk, PA, 570/224-6722 (Open Wed. & Fri. thru Oct. 30, Saturdays thru Oct. 12; open house Dec. 6 thru 8) Grey Towers National Historic Site, 151 Grey Towers, Milford, PA, 570/296-9630, www.greytowers.org Pike County Historical Society, The Columns Museum, 608 Broad St., Milford, PA, 570/296-8126, pikehistorical.org Time & The Valleys Museum, 332 Main St., Grahamsville, NY (Open weekends thru Oct.) timeandthevalleysmuseum.org Wayne County Historical Society, 810 Main St., Honesdale, PA, 570/253-3240, www.waynehistorypa.org Zane Grey Museum, 135 Scenic Dr., Lackawaxen, PA, 570/685-4871 (Open weekends until Oct. 19, then closed for the season)
A RIVER REPORTER MAGAZINE • 31
M&M AUTO GROUP IS PROUD TO INTRODUCE
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ATV: WARNING! ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety, always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing and never carry passengers unless the adult ATV has been designed by the manufacturer specifically for that purpose. Polaris adult models are for riders aged 16 and older. For safety and training information in the U.S., call the SVIA at (800) 887-2887. You may also contact your Polaris dealer or call Polaris at (800) 324-3764. For safety and training information in Canada, contact your Polaris dealer. Polaris RANGER & RZR: Warning: The Polaris RANGE and RZR are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license to operate. Passengers must be at least 12 years old and tall enough to grasp the hand holds and plant feet firmly on the floor. All drivers should take a safety training course. Contact ROHVA at www.rohva.org or (949) 255-2560 for additional information. Drivers and passengers should wear helmets, eye protection, protective clothing and seat belts. Always fasten cab nets or doors. Never drive on public roads or paved surfaces. Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. Check local laws before riding on trails.