Your Award-Winning News Source for the Upper Delaware River Valley Region Since 1975
Vol. 41 No. 50
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DECEMBER 10 - 16, 2015
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www.riverreporter.com
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River basin committee criticized for bickering over reservoir release plan By LAURIE RAMIE
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AWLEY, PA — Dysfunctional. Uncompromising. Non-transparent. In need of group therapy. Those criticisms and more were heard at the Delaware River Basin Commission’s (DRBC) Regulated Flow Advisory Committee (RFAC), which put a focus on Upper Delaware concerns by agreeing to meet at the Lake Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center on December 3. Perhaps the biggest beef concerned who
was not at the table. None of the designated principals from the four basin states and the City of New York—aka “decree parties”—attended. It is these decree parties that possess the authority through the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Decree to take unanimous action on the Flexible Flow Management Program (FFMP), which guides releases and diversions from the city’s three upstate reservoirs. The committee participation consisted instead of staffers from the environmental
departments of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and New York City. DR Executive Director Steven J. Tambini explained that the role of RFAC, which met most recently on April 17 in West Trenton, NJ, is to provide information to the commissioners who represent the four basin states and the federal government. It was responding to requests to come hear the concerns from the upper basin. “The DRBC is not a party to the decree, but we have a deep interest in what hap-
pens with the FFMP and we provide support to the decree parties technically. This is an opportunity to take input to the decree parties and inform the public on what’s been going on,” Tambini said. While noting that decree party principals are not required to attend RFAC meetings, Friends of the Upper Delaware River (FUDR) Executive Director Jeff Skelding said, “there was an expectation that we’d see some” of them to address directly in this rare opportunity. “Our inability to get an audience with Continued on page 5
Dreams are not for postponing: A book shop on Main Street By ISABEL BRAVERMAN
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ARROWSBURG, NY — It has been Aaron Hicklin’s dream to open a book store. No stranger to the written word, Hicklin is the editor in chief of Out magazine and has long been in the journalism business. One Grand Books had its grand opening on Saturday, and members of the community and visitors came out to support the new shop. “Dreams are not for postponing,” Hicklin said of his decision to open One Grand Books, “I decided I had to do it.” He has been coming to the region since 2000; his husband’s parents live in Equinunk, PA. He noticed a demand in the area for a bookstore, and found Narrowsburg to be a perfect location. But this is not your ordinary book store; the concept is a special one. The shelves of One Grand Books will be host to a highly curated selection of books chosen by accomplished people, celebrities if you will, ranging from actors to writers to artists and more. The diverse group includes Tilda Swinton, Lena Dunham, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Waters, Miranda July and others. Each has selected his or her 10 favorite books. Hicklin was inspired by two things: a wine shop in
DICKENS ON THE DELAWARE A Victorian Christmas
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Manhattan called Bottle Rocket that offered wines curated by mood, and the radio show “Desert Island Discs,” which asked famous people to list eight recordings to take with them on a desert island. Further, he found that whenever he went to a book store, he would head toward the staff picks section first. Many readers are probably feeling sensory overload in the number of book options available to them on sites like Amazon. “In this day and age, people don’t want everything; they want it to be highly curated, they want people to choose for them,” he said. The physical space of One Grand Books is also special. Hicklin enlisted architect Jon Buono and local cabinet maker Larry Braverman to create the space. “Larry is a complete artist and Jon has an incredible eye. They turned the store into something new and fresh. No one else could do this, this quality,” Hicklin said. Braverman built the book shelves, which are American white ash and feature a motif based on the façade of a local building. Atmosphere is paramount; just as important as the books. Hicklin has created a beautiful and welcoming Continued on page 5
Photo by Aaron Hicklin
One Grand Books recently opened in Narrowsburg, NY.
SPANNING 2 STATES, 4 COUNTIES, AND A RIVER THAT UNITES US
RIVER CHAMPION Dan Plummer
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