BlueStone Press

The best source for local news from Marbletown, Rochester & Rosendale

Published the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month | Vol. 28, Issue 8

Jim Metzner honored by Library of Congress

April 21, 2023 | $1.00

Rondout Valley High School tackles AI PAGE 8

PAGE 16

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Pollinator Pathways, a nature corridor

Marbletown sets public hearing date for supervisor term extension to 4 years Anne Pyburn Craig BSP Reporter

"We’re basically creating ecosystems that look like gardens. In the process of doing that, we increase bird life, butterfly life, bats and dragonflies and amphibians and all the things that we want to be in our world," says Diane Greenberg of the Catskill Native Nursery in Kerhonkson. See the full story on page 3. Photo by Ann Belmont

With all five members present, Marbletown’s town board unanimously passed three resolutions at their Tuesday, April 18, meeting.

The first, declaring May to be Mental Health Awareness Month, was in response to a request from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) that communities make the designation in order to increase awareness, reduce stigma and publicize the help that is available.

“Representatives of NAMI are going to come hang 10 banners at Town Hall,” said town supervisor Rich Parete in a phone interview following the meeting, which was not broadcast on Facebook Live due to technical difficulties. “We’re going to put it on our website to try to make sure people know there’s no shame in seeking help and spread the word about where you can

find that help when you need it.”

The second resolution, setting a public hearing for 6 p.m.

Tuesday, May 2, on a proposal that would extend the supervisor’s Parete term from two years to four, will likely become a ballot question in the fall. Parete says he doesn’t much mind what becomes of it.

“I’ve been running for two-year terms for a long time, and I honestly don’t mind,” he said. “But we recently extended the terms for the highway superintendent and town clerk to four years, and that leaves the supervisor’s office as the only position with a two-year term. Also, due to the nature of the grant process, it can take three years

See Marbletown, page 5

School community shaken by bomb threats Amber Kelly BSP Reporter Public comments at the Rondout Valley School District BOE meeting on April 18 had four PTA member parents presenting.

Vanessa Greene said, “I am here regarding the threats that are occurring. As a parent I am concerned and confused as to how this can be happening again and again with zero idea about who is doing it.”

She voiced concern regarding safety assurances, saying that the email and text notifications seem cut-and-paste, are inconsistently sent, and inspire utter dread. In the drills that result from threats, children are evacuated from the building, sometimes with belongings and sometimes without.

What if the purported threat was in the children’s belongings? Her child also reported a line for the bathroom, causing a 10-minute loss of class time.

Brianna Farrell said, “I have a child in

PTA parents Heidi Waddell, Justin Harty and Vanessa Greene spoke with concern about the recent bomb threats at the April 18 school board meeting in the district office. Photos by Amber Kelly

the middle school and I have a child in Marbletown. Just like Vanessa, I am here regarding the threat. The day after the last threat, I had to wake my daughter up for school, at which point she said, ‘Momma, I don’t want to go, my belly hurts.’ I got into it with her and asked her why does her belly hurt. My daughter has anxiety

as it is. But we just had the stomach bug, and I thought there is no way she has the stomach bug.”

She said that her 9-year-old daughter is concerned that the kids get a free-for-all in the bleachers, or get to watch a movie, and feels like if they let their guard down something will happen. She said

that monitors sit outside each bathroom yet don’t know what is going on. One of those monitors embarrassed the child by making her empty her pockets in front of her peers while the monitor complained she’s not getting paid enough. Also, a lot

See School, page 5

Page 2, April July 21, 1, 2022, 2023BlueStone , BlueStone Press Press

Did 'Tony' give you a nickname? is all I do.

How did you find your way to the Hudson Valley?

I was born in 1954 on Dominica, a small island in the Caribbean that used to be French then English and is now independent. I came over when I was a teenager.

I worked in Florida as a translator for a judge. Then I moved here and have been here for 48 years.

Tell us about your family.

My family is all over the place – Florida, Long Island, Brooklyn, the Bronx. I have four children.

Visit the folks There’s Desmond, who is called Tony, next door and he works as a doctor in Cuba.

Another son, Tyrell, works as a person who stops cyber-attacks for big companies. I have two daughters, Odessa and Lashon, and both are nurses in Kingston.

I have several grandkids, three boys and one girl.

Q&A

Tell us about your work.

I work for Department of Public Works in Kingston. I work 40 hours a week for them. I do various stuff. I take care of the flowers and do recyclables and whatever is needed. I work at Davenport’s in Stone Ridge, where I take care of the produce and do whatever is needed. I work for the DPW from 7 to 2 in the winter and from 6 to 2 in the spring. Then I’m at Davenport’s from 5:30 or 6 on the weekends and after 3:30 during the week. It keeps me healthy, “moving and grooving.” I never go on vacation.

You have been at Davenport’s ever since I can remember, and that goes back a way.

I have been here for about 48 years. I was here when Mark was just born. (Mark Davenport manages the place.) I take care of all the produce. Sometimes I order, but Mark and Bruce (Davenport) take care of that as well. I check the produce, make

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Desmond (‘Tony’) John Baptiste Profession: Produce manager at Davenport Farms and DPW employee, City of Kingston Age: 69 Town: Kingston

sure it is fresh, clean, and make sure it looks good and put it out there for people to buy. I also do whatever else is needed – cooking soup, sometimes in the greenhouse, whatever needs to be done.

How did you get the nickname Tony?

When I first got here over 40 years ago there was a woman at Davenport’s, and she asked about what the plants were and I showed her. I helped her with some stuff, and she said, “Thanks Tony.” I said my name’s not Tony. Everybody that was there heard her. Since then, Bruce and everybody that heard it started calling me Tony.

Now everybody uses it, and I’ve gotten used to it.

What do you do in your spare time?

(Laughs) I don’t have any spare time!

Between here (Davenport’s) and my Department of Public Works job I work over 60 hours a week. So basically, that

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What do you enjoy about working at Davenport’s?

All my friends are here. I see people when they are just children, and then they come back with their wives, husbands or girlfriends, and then they have kids.

People from the city (transplants), they are my friends, people that have been coming to the store for many years and people that have been coming for a few years. I see them and ask about their families. They bring me things, like the couple right here brought me brownies. I like the people.

(One person that was nearby during the interview said, “He gives nicknames to everybody.”)

Tell us about how you started giving folks nicknames.

Because that’s how we were raised in the Caribbean – everybody has a nickname, nobody calls you by your real name. So, if the police come looking for you for something, you tell them you live over there, but you never live over there.

When they come across the street with a summons or something, whoever they’re looking for they can’t find because you don’t give them your real name. If you go someplace with your mother and she tells them your real name you get annoyed and say don’t give them my real name. That way she can’t find out if you get in trouble.

What’s the funniest thing that happened at work?

One time we were bringing a load of corn on a wagon from Tongore Road.

There was this guy working with us and he was sitting on the top of the corn in the wagon. He was drunk and fell off the wagon and landed in a puddle of mud and water.

-Compiled by Jeff Slater, BSP Reporter

BSP Corrections In the April 7 edition of the BSP, in the story "Moratorium land use extension, Rochester hearings on tax exemption and ethics law draw plenty of comment," an error occurred on page 15. Rebecca Collins-Brooks, who commented at the hearing, was misquoted as saying that she had invited Town Board members over for dinner. What she actually said was that she had “hosted” the board members. Collins-Brooks clarified, “We hosted two board members at our farm to walk the land and have a conversation about how changes in the zoning code would adversely impact us.” She emphasized that the board members received nothing during that meeting, which was the point she was making by mentioning the incident. BlueStone Press apologizes for the error.

Also in the April 7 edition, in the story “Board grants extensions for Cherries’ special use request and the Hasbrouck subdivision,” Board member Sharon Klein’s name was spelled incorrectly. Also, Dan Proctor, not Dave Cobb, commented that the community is short on housing and needs housing, to which Klein replied, “Yes, but not that kind of housing.”

The BSP apologizes for our mistakes.

Also in the April 7 issue, it was incorrectly stated that the High Falls Cafe is closed on Sunday. The High Falls Cafe is open on Sundays, serving brunch from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and lunch from 1-3:30 p.m..

BlueStone Press apologizes for the error.

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BlueStone Press, April 21, 2023 , Page 3

Pollinator Pathways An idea gaining momentum Ann Belmont BSP Reporter "Pollinator pathways" is a concept.

Diane Greenberg of the Catskill Native Nursery in Kerhonkson explained it as "basically a nature corridor. People within a neighborhood – as many people as you can inspire – are going to plant plants that benefit wildlife. Bees and [other] pollinators can only fly so far to get nectar and pollen. The closer little groups of plants are together, the better for Nature. So when you get a whole group of people who are willing to put in these gardens, or at least leave some space wild – preferably native because that’s what wildlife depends on and what they have evolved with – they do better. We’re basically creating ecosystems that look like gardens. In the process of doing that, we increase bird life, butterfly life, bats and dragonflies and amphibians and all the things that we want to be in our world.”

Pollinator Pathways is also the name of an organization, a national network of people who maintain a pollinator garden of some kind – a garden bed, a meadow area, even just one pollinator-friendly tree – where they live. Towns, too, form local Pollinator Pathway chapters, as Marbletown did several years ago and as Rochester did just recently.

Rochester councilmember Erin Enouen explained why she thought it was important for towns to join up. “I love the idea of addressing the need to create linked pollinator habitats with a community-driven solution. Becoming an official chapter is beneficial not only because of the vast resources available, but it also signifies the larger impact our town can have as part of a community of communities. This project shows us that there are small actions we can take that make a powerful impact when we work together."

As a showcase for Rochester's new status on the Pollinator Pathway map, Greenberg and her crew were commissioned to plant a pollinator garden in front of the Rochester Town Hall to replace the hedge that is there now, "probably in June," she estimated.

What if you have planted a pollinator garden, but the next one is a quarter mile away? Is that going to be effective? “Sure," Greenberg said. "Not only that, but once you do put in some of these [native] plants, they will be spread into the wild, because birds eat the seeds. Nature sends heavy winds and rain to move seeds around ...

Most people only garden with Asian and European plants. So those are the ones that spread into the wild, and they’re just not as beneficial.”

Forsythia, for example, is lovely in April, but Greenberg said, “Forsythia is a not a plant we would recommend if you are interested in helping pollinators, as the flowers are sterile. When bees emerge in spring they are looking for nourishment to gain energy in order to start their new broods. When they see the bright yellow flower they assume there will be pollen or nectar and they waste energy flying to those flowers only to discover there’s nothing there for them. Bees do best when they have the plants they’ve evolved with for millions of years, such as Dutchman’s breeches, trilliums, violets and anemones.

Native red maples, witch hazels, spicebush and pussy willows are some our earliest flowering trees and shrubs, and a great source of food for early bees. When we add these plants to our landscape we gain their beauty and our pollinators gain nourishment ... There are tons of host plants for moths and butterflies,” she said. "Deer

often eat the host plants that moths and butterflies need to reproduce. They also eat the blossoms that become the flowers and fruit that support all kinds of wildlife.

People are not planting enough of those things, and deer are destroying them.”

But don't think you can get around the problem by planting “deer-resistant” plants, not if you want a pollinator garden.

At her nursery, Greenberg explained, “We don’t do deer-resistant gardens. Deer are destroying biodiversity through people planting nothing but deer-resistant plants. Most deer-resistant plants are Asian and European. The more people plant, the more they get used to eating them. Twenty years ago there was a solid list of deer-resistant plants; they have learned to eat them all … they adapt.” What to do?

"What people need to do is protect their gardens … every property I work on now is fenced with attractive or virtually invisible fencing, nothing too noticeable like the board fencing people do for privacy. It also possible to design gardens so they are less physically welcoming to deer, but that is a topic for another time!”

Greenberg is in favor of “letting part of your property go wild. Not having to make your property look like a waiting room at a dentist’s office, where everything is perfectly manicured … Nature likes things a little messy.” She outlined what she considered good landscaping, combining beauty with a friendly attitude toward wildlife. “We need to get over this sterile suburban look … with a lot of lawn and shrubs clipped into meatball shapes. You can have mowed paths ... What I consider good ecological design, where you can be comfortable, you can have nice patio areas, but off in the distance you have a meadow area with different flowering things throughout the season." Adding birdhouses to your meadow is also recommended. Some level of management is required, especially at first.

Although it can be difficult, “you can get rid of most [invasives] – autumn olive, garlic mustard, barberry.”

Greenberg is optimistic about stopping the decline of pollinating insects. “As a homeowner you really can turn things around, especially if you’re taking old commercial land” like an old timber forest or cornfield by creating “just basically gardens. They can be as formal or as wild as you want – you just have to have certain plants in them.” To see an example of what a pollinator garden can look like, Greenberg suggested, “people can come to the nursery and see what we do here … there are gardens right adjacent to the nursery.”

There are even grants available for individuals, as Judith Karpova of Kerhonkson found out. She applied for and got a grant to cover the cost of buying native plants, so many that she is holding a public planting on her land in Kerhonkson on Earth Day (see the TOR-ECC Facebook page).

A vast linkage of plantings with wildlife in mind is "revolutionary," said Greenberg. "It’s never been done before in history. We are repairing the damage that has been done to the environment through overdevelopment and humans creating imbalance in the ecosystem by killing all the predators. We can fix that ... we can actually turn things around.”

For information about pollinator pathways, and see native plant lists, visit pollinator-pathways.org. For low maintenance, biodiverse gardening techniques: "Super-Tough Wildflowers” with Ian Caton (YouTube) For more on the philosophy of ecological landscaping: “Growing a Greener World Episode 1008: Bringing Nature Home” with Doug Tallamy (YouTube)

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Page 4, April 21, 2023 , BlueStone Press

Stone House Tavern, Harana Market edge closer to planning board approvals 'Deep Hole' landowner wants an environmental organization to 'take over' the popular swimming hole Ann Belmont BSP Reporter As summer approaches, those who frequent the beloved swimming hole on Towpath Road in Alligerville may be interested to know that David Getman, who owns the property, intends to sell it. Bill Eggers of the engineering firm Medenbach & Eggers represented Getman at the April meeting of the Rochester Planning Board. Getman’s application called for his 87-acre parcel to be split in two, with Towpath Road being the dividing line, what's known as a natural subdivision.

Marc Grasso, the board chair, asked Eggers, "Bill, do you know what the plan is for the future?” Eggers replied, “He wants an environmental organization of some kind to take the piece over where Deep Hole is ...he just wants to get rid of it. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with it." It took the board only a few minutes to approve the application.

Next on the agenda: a continuing application from the Stone House Tavern at 4802 Route 209 in Accord. During the pandemic, the restaurant had secured a temporary permit for outdoor dining.

Al Roberts and Linda Bradford, who own it, are applying for a special use permit to continue with outdoor dining permanently.

Nadine Carney was there from Peak Engineering to explain their site plan, which has undergone modifications over the past few months as recommended by the Planning Board. “Four parking spaces that exist currently will be removed from the plan” for fire truck access, said Carney. Two ADA-compliant restrooms will be built for the outdoor dining area.

She also outlined lighting modifications, a guardrail between the lower parking lot and the hill, and a new septic system for the new restrooms. An existing well that services a mobile home on the property will be tapped as a water source for those restrooms.

Board member Maren Lindstrom asked if Roberts and Bradford had ever considered having an outdoor dining deck around the restaurant instead of the pavilion they have on the hill above the building. “Yes, we talked about a lot of different options,” said Carney, but the most practical thing was to improve upon the arrangement that already exists.

Board member Rick Jones asked about grading the steep driveway between the upper and lower parking lots. No construction on that can occur until the site plan has been approved, Carney said.

Upon opening the public hearing, Grasso reported that “we’ve received about 25 written comments already over the application’s existence,” which they will take

On left, 5125 Route 209 in Accord, the new location of Harana Market. On right, Stone House Tavern at 4802 Route 209. BSP photo files

into consideration. Grasso said later that 100% of those comments were supportive.

Mike Lapowe spoke first as public comment. “I’m the property owner at 41 Sand Hill Road, a neighbor of the Stone House, and I’m 100% supportive of their outdoor dining. I think it’s wonderful for the community … my intention here is not to interfere with their business in any way, it’s just to raise some concerns I have regarding noise.” Several nights a week, there is live music between 6 and 9 p.m.

“To me that’s excessive … disruptive to me and my family. It’s basically right in our backyard. Once in a while to have bands play, I’m all for it.”

Lapowe also said that he is responsible for the maintenance of most of Sand Hill Road, a private road that abuts the Stone House property, and was concerned about

restaurant customers using it. “A lot of cars and truck traffic, it does impact the road.” Grasso told him, “We will look into the deed to see if there’s any road maintenance agreement” between landowners on Sand Hill Road, as is typical for a private drive. Lapowe was unaware of any such agreement existing.

Carney broke in to say that access to the outdoor seating will be only from Route 209, “so Sand Hill Road would not be utilized.” She added that there will be a chain across what diners might otherwise use as an exit, and a sign.

Another neighbor who spoke concurred with Lapowe in being disturbed at home with the volume of the music coming from the Stone House, and said an attempt

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BlueStone Press, April 21, 2023 , Page 5

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Marbletown from page 1 between beginning the application and actually getting the check.”

Also passed was a resolution to appoint Jeremiah Brown to fill the newly created role of groundskeeper at $22 per hour.

Parete said that Brown will be taking some of the weight off of the town’s highway department, allowing it to stay focused on its own mission.

“With our rail trails and the rise in park usage generally, it’s put something of a strain on the highway department,” Parete said. “They’ll continue to help with parks, but we do have 84 miles of roads, and having a dedicated groundskeeper frees them to focus on the roads, bridges and

School from page 1 of the robocalls hang up, or do not come through.

Justin Harty said, “I’m concerned about what is going to happen to the (offending) kid. I’ve seen a lot of discipline problems.

We’ve seen a kind of slap on the wrist. I want to make sure that something actually happens. If someone calls in a bomb threat to a government office they are probably leaving in cuffs. Maybe that is a little extreme, but I don’t think so. I don’t think that our kids that are doing this are taking it very seriously. Eventually our kids are going to be desensitized by this, like watching bad horror movies. Why don’t we have an officer of the law come in and talk to these kids? It is a serious threat; you are taking resources away from the public. We are now taking our bomb-sniffing dog and bringing it to the school. Yet it may not be a serious threat, and may be just a kid who wants to get out of class, when maybe there is a problem somewhere else where that dog could be a deterrent. Or we are taking how many officers? There are cop cars upon cop cars, probably at every entrance.

That is a lot of resources that could be used for something that is actually happening taken from the community. Not only are they hurting their fellow students and the faculty getting everybody worked up and moved, but also hurting their entire community because God forbid something happens off the campus. If they do this here, then they get into college thinking it is something they got away with in high school. That’s not going to end very well for the kid. He thinks it’s an innocent prank, but what happens when he ends up in jail?”

Heidi Waddell said, “I’m also a PTA member in Marbletown. We are taking all of our kids, lining them up and taking them

drainage. And we’re lucky to get Jeremy for the position; he’s had experience, including creating the trails in Lippman Park in Wawarsing, and has considerable expertise.”

Speaking of roads – well, roadsides – the town would love it if you’d lend a hand tidying up roadsides in your own neighborhood, or organize your own little crew to tidy any problems you may see. Specially marked contractor bags for roadside trash can be picked up at the town clerk’s office, then dropped at the transfer station free of charge between now and April 30.

The board’s next meeting is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 2. Parete says that the IT person is working diligently to resolve the problem that prevented April’s meeting from being broadcast live on Facebook. from one place to another. The community is also well aware of what we are doing.

Everybody knows. We are surrounded by woods … before you evacuate our kids are you checking and securing the premises? You are now allowing our kids to be exposed to a potential threat that maybe you were not aware of because you were focused on a bomb threat. Now as well as making them feel they all get a free day and you are rewarding a bad behavior. There are so many different elements to this.”

“As a board and as an administration, we care deeply for these children,” Dawn Van Kleeck, school board president, said.

“Your children’s safety is priority. I don’t think there is anything our administrators wouldn’t do for the safety of your child.

We do follow police recommendations, orders, instructions to the letter. We do that for the safety of your children, of our students. We are not going to share, based on police recommendation, what is happening. We go completely by what the task forces are telling us.”

“As Dawn said, there are things happening that we do not share out publicly that is put in place by law enforcement,” Dr. Morgan said. “There is lot going on behind the scenes – investigation, analysis, evidence. Also, when we do an evacuation, we are very thoughtful in the process of how we do it … We do it based on best practices. I personally meet with law enforcement, state police, the sheriff’s department on a monthly basis. We had an emergency meeting last week with the state police in the sheriff’s office with investigators and attorneys. We are not the only district experiencing this. It is happening in our county, in the state, and nationally … All our administrators take this very seriously.”

Van Kleeck said, “We feel for you. We get the same phone call you all get. It is scary.

It is a scary world that we are living in …

This is so unacceptable that this is what we are living in.”

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Planning Brd from page 4 by the restaurant to mitigate it has not improved matters. Carney said that the problem is that the residences are at a higher elevation.

Lindstrom pointed out that the Town of Rochester has a noise ordinance applicable to restaurants, and asked if the Stone House has met the compliance requirement. “It meets it – it’s below, I believe,” said Grasso. Carney added that in the future music at the tavern will be limited to Friday and Saturday, eliminating Thursday. “A 33% improvement,” joked Grasso.

A number of ways to buffer the sound were offered by the board. Lindstrom imagined that they could plant “fast-growing white pines” behind the bandstand to absorb more sound, and/or surround it with heavy drapery. Jones suggested putting a roof on it. Dave Gordon, the town's attorney, commented, “It’s not rocket science. You just turn down the amps!"

Owners Roberts and Bradford added that they usually have a singer-songwriter on one of the music nights. “They are much quieter.”

Grasso said, “In my opinion I think we need to give the applicant the opportunity to make it right … but I also understand.

I don’t live next door, so I don’t have to listen to it every day. I see both sides."

The board decided to make compliance with the noise ordinance a condition of their eventual approval. Their decision must wait until they receive the results of reviews by Ulster County’s planning board and the fire department, which they expect before May. Grasso moved to keep the public hearing open till then.

Next, the board reviewed an application from the Wildlands Holding Company, represented by Bob James for owner Mike Fink, for a five-lot subdivision on Rock Hill Road in Accord.

Grasso reported, “Last week Mr. Barber [consulting on environmental issues for Rochester] did a wetlands study," resulting in the applicant agreeing to eliminate one plot that faced County Route 2, reducing the plan to four lots. He also agreed to redesign a driveway in order to preserve an existing rock wall and to put in a culvert.

The 61-acre parcel may contain Native American artifacts. Fink said that on the basis of his own observations there weren't any artifacts to be found on the land where he is planning to build, and requested a waiver for the legally required archaeological study. “It could be done, but it’s a lot of money," he said. However, the board denied that request. Fink's application is still in process, pending ongoing reviews by various agencies.

The ongoing Harana Market application was next on the docket. Residents of the Woodstock area are probably familiar with the Harana Market, "an Asian market serving homestyle Filipino food" as its website explains, which has been located on Wittenberg Road near Woodstock for several years. Eva Tringali and Kris Mauricio, co-owners of the market, are going to close that location and move the market to 5125 Route 209 in Accord. They will repurpose the barn-style building on site as a market/cafe with offerings similar to their Woodstock store, with indoor seating for up to 40 people. Tringali and Mauricio had also applied for a special-events permit, but have decided to withdraw it.

The board decided that Harana Market's application was close enough to completion that it could be scheduled for a public hearing. That will take place on May 8.

Two minor subdivision applications were discussed and are still ongoing. One is at 145 Upper Cherrytown Road, where Claudia and David Waruch own 15 acres that they plan to break into two lots of 5 and 10 acres. The other is at 35 Hill Road, with owner listed as 15 Railroad LLC. A total of 4 acres is to be divided into 2-acre lots.

Page 6, April 21, 2023 , BlueStone Press

Town supervisor discusses unregistered events on private property with resident Resident responds to town supervisor's public comments at board meeting about events at his property Thomas Childers BSP Reporter The Rosendale Town Board met on April 12 at the Rondout Municipal Center in Cottekill. Supervisor Jeanne Walsh, councilmembers Ashley Sweeney, Molly Muller and town clerk Mandy Donald attended.

Ron Parente began the meeting with the comment, “I have been a Rosendale resident since 1980. A couple of weeks ago, I was having coffee and reading the BlueStone Press, and halfway through the article I saw my name used in a very disparaging way, and I believe it is a mischaracterization, and I am here to address it and I guess straighten out the record about my knowledge of the situation. For those who don’t know what I am talking about, there is a quote by our supervisor Jeanne Walsh responding to – I guess I wasn’t here and I did not know anything about it – a proposed site plan for the upcoming street festival, which, I guess without my knowledge, my name was mentioned as a possible site for a band. I would like to read the quote and make my statement.

“As reported in the previous issue of the BSP (reading Walsh’s statement), ‘I will go on record saying I will not approve this document if Ron Parente's property is a part of this, and I will tell you why, because he continuously had events on his property, and he’s thumbed his nose to the town in getting site plans to us. If he wants to be in compliance going forward, we will consider it next year. He’s had multiple events, and he’s been asked multiple times to submit site plans for the safety of the public, and he has not complied, so I am not going to approve him to be any kind of event. I think what the chief [of police] is concerned about is being able to enter private properties as police officers to handle anything that needs to be handled.

He also doesn’t want any private events after the street fest to get that flow of traffic going out.’”

Parente continued, “It was very disparaging and disheartening to read that, having no knowledge of the situation. I have never in the last 15 years had any

music on my property during the street festival. Twice, more than 10 years ago, I had some musicians play after Sunday night between the hours of 6 and about 8:30-9 o’clock. Because they were stuck there with their equipment and didn’t get to play at the street festival, I let them use my property for that.

“That was over 10 years ago, and I have done nothing since as far as the street festival is concerned. I do have a couple of events on my property that have nothing to do with the street festival. My property is completely private. I talked to Chief Schaffrick about this yesterday. He does not have any problems with the events but reiterated, and I agree with him, that he needs access for music on private properties. In regards to compliance, I was asked once by you to submit the site plan, which you told me specifically I did not need to get approval, but would I do it as a favor? I think, Ken [Hassett, deputy town supervisor], you were at that meeting – this is probably going back 10 or 11 years – I presented the site plan and the board voted to approve it even though I was told by you that I didn’t need it. You didn’t happen to be at that meeting for some reason. Since then I have been asked once by Mandy to come in and fill out a permit a couple of years ago (by the way, I did nothing during Covid on my property), which I did, and I have not heard from you about any events, you can ask me questions afterward. It was less than 100 people, so what I understood was I fell under a different jurisdiction.

Again, my property is on private property.

I don’t use any of the town’s resources. I have also volunteered service for this town throughout my 40-plus years here, so to say that I thumbed my nose multiple times at the town was really upsetting to me.

There is probably more that I would like to say, but I think I have addressed what I needed to. I hope that clarifies any issues that may come up in the future, if you want to ask me any questions.“ Jeanne Walsh said in response, “No, I am just going to make a statement. I still stand by what I said because what we were talking about is not about what you have done at the street festival. It is about what you have done in addition to street festivals. You are expected to do a site plan and get approval when you sell tickets for an event on your property. You advertise multiple times that you will be using town property, like the parking lot, and you have people paying an admission. Tickets warrant a site plan and approval from the board. Mandy has reached out to you …

multiple times, we often find out that you have had these events after the fact. The police have … I have gone to the chief and said you are going to have check on this because …”

Ron interrupted, saying, “The police came to my property …”

Walsh said, “Let me finish – I let you talk. When the police come there it is because you don’t have a site plan, they don’t know what is going on. OK, because you advertised to the public, you don’t know if you are going to get 100 people or a 1,000 people when you do that because you are advertising it on Facebook or some kind of social media.

“We are doing this to protect the public when you are not in compliance. I cannot say it’s OK to use Ron’s property for the street festival, for it to be one of the sites, when you have had events there where you were not in compliance. Now if you want to straighten this out, I would be happy to see this happen. You just need to talk to Mandy when you are going to have an event, fill out the application and get in compliance. Sometimes she can approve it depending on the size of your event. I don’t have this chart in front of me about what constitutes coming to the Town Board – she has the ability to approve certain levels of events. You cannot have events on your property unless you are a commercial property that has been planning board-approved to have those kind of events. Without filling out an application and getting approval, that is why you were not in compliance and that’s why I said, because Ron has not been in compliance in the past’ I can’t approve him continuing to have an event on his property through the street festival, because you were not in compliance before for other events you have had. That was the point.”

Parente responded, “I understand that.

Two points: You could have made that clear without the disparaging.”

Walsh broke in, “I made that clear, but the newspaper puts down what they want to put down, Mandy also spoke on this issue, and only certain part of my quote is in the paper. I understand that you are upset, but you know what, Ron? It was not a good feeling for me every time you had an event and you didn’t come to get your application in place.”

Ron responded, “I did not know I had to do that every time.”

Walsh continued, “I will tell you that Mandy is telling me, and she can confirm it, she has reached out to you on a number of occasions when she has seen that you

are having an event and she did not get a response from you – on multiple occasions.

Parente responded, “OK, the only time that I heard from Mandy was, I think, maybe last year or three years ago.”

Mandy Donald, town clerk, jumped in at this point, saying, “The last time I tried to contact you was Aug. 30, 2022. I tried calling you through the number [listed] on water and sewer.” Parente responded, “I did not get any call.”

Donald continued, “On the same day, since I didn’t get a response, I tried to reach out through Facebook, and said can you please come up to the town hall and fill out an event application? Usually these events should be done six days prior to your event, and it seems this event has about 300 people interested, thanks so much. So I sent that right after I called and I got no response, and then I called again, and I left a message. I don’t know the number, it is on the water-sewer account – that's how I got it. So I tried to reach out to you, and the last event you filled out was in February 2022. Once I saw you were having an event in August, that’s when I reached out to you and I didn’t get a response.”

Parente responded, “Well, if you didn’t get a response it is because I did not get the message. If you reached out on Facebook it is something I don’t check. I will be happy to come in and fill out a permit application. Do you need a site plan every time?”

Walsh responded, “Yes, you need to show what you are doing and what your expectations are on how you are setting it up. Mandy has the list of all the requirements that she needs from you.” Parente said, “happy to do so.”

“Thank you,” said Walsh.

Parente added, “All I ask is that I don’t be disparaged in public.”

Ashley Sweeney recognized Ken Hassett, deputy supervisor, who was sitting in the back of the room as part of the audience, to speak. (Note: While Hassett is the appointed deputy supervisor, he does not sit on the town board and cannot make motions or vote if he is acting in place of the town supervisor.) Hassett began, “I just want to respond. Ron, you brought my name up from a number of years ago, from when I was sitting on the board. I do remember having that conversation.

I can’t remember if it was 10 years ago, seven years ago, whatever it was. Well, you

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BlueStone Press, April 21, 2023 , Page 7

Increasing support for the Community Center Residents are forming groups to save the center Jeff Slater BSP Reporter In the last couple of weeks residents have attended board meetings, met in groups, and some have met with the town supervisor to discuss ways to save the Marbletown Community Center. The building on Main Street needs repairs. The prospect of the town selling the property was discussed by the town, due to the expense of repairs that the to the town would have to cover.

One of the groups being formed is Save Our Community Center. According to ViVi Hlavsa, SOCC is looking into the following: Marbletown’s current finances, the costs of repairing the building, ways to increases its usage and therefore revenues, raising money for the MCC’s restoration.

At the Town Board meeting on April 18 community members showed up to speak on behalf of the MCC – what it means to the community, what it needs in terms of repairs, and how the community could help with the repairs by potentially raising funds.

Hlavsa said, “We’ve started to form groups to save the center, one being SOCC (Save Our Community Center). You have got to understand from the people who have been speaking to you how much this building means, not just another fly-by.

We want to help you solve the problems.

We want to know if we would raise money that it would go to the community center.”

Ev Mann of Marbletown Multi-Arts (MaMA) said, “I’ve had a long-running

relationship with the MCC, and I totally understand the constraints you’re on with the budget, and that’s why some of us got together to discuss an actual fundraiser, and I believe there is so much commitment for this space that we could do a very successful event. I’ve spoken with Jill McClean … we have a tentative date of June 17, where we are going to arrange for live music, a whole array of things … We’re going to set up a Go Fund Me page. We are going to make sure that money is dedicated to this project, more information is coming. I’ve had a number of people reach out to say they want to be involved with this because it’s going to be an effort.

I met with Rich (Parete, town supervisor) the other day, and he was very supportive.”

Another issue brought up regarding funds for the MCC is the price now being charged for usage and the possibility of raising the price to get more revenue for the repairs and the center in general.

In reference to the effort by the community to raise moneys, town supervisor Rich Parete said, “I’ve spoken with Ev Mann, and he asked if a concerned citizen could donate money to help do the repairs at the community center. Ev has done so much for Marbletown, and board members are honored that he’s willing to help. Municipalities are not allowed to fundraise. We can accept donations but are not allowed to ask for them.”

As far as more information about the community fundraising events, Mann said, “The fundraiser would be held on June 17 at 5 p.m. tentatively. We plan to have live music, food and beverages, with an appeal for donations to keep the MCC open. We also hope to have a silent auction of donated services and art pieces,

etc. Nancy Plummer and a few other folks have expressed interest in being involved in a committee to help organize the event.

It is going to take a team to do it right.

We also have a way for people to donate online, and all funds collected will be donated toward the project.”

In reference to the issues with the community center and the efforts from the community to raise money, town board member Don LaFera said, “We as a board are constantly evaluating what our assets are and what our potential potential costs are. We have fiscal responsibility. As a child I went to all the parties at the MCC [American Legion at that time] and have a good feeling about the place. But we still have to have these conversations. If the community wants to raise money that’s great, if that’s what they want to do and if people are interested in raising money for the MCC. It’s always good when we get the community to get involved.

MCC at Memorial Day Commemoration 2021. Photo by Tim Hunt

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Page 8, April 21, 2023 , BlueStone Press

Briefs

The role of artificial intelligence at Rondout Valley High School Marley Pileggi Special for the BSP

Rebecca Collins Brooks at Hilltop Farm.

Photo by Jim Lafferty

Catskill Wagyu presents ‘Meeting of the Milkmaids’ at Hilltop Farm of Accord Hilltop Farm of Accord will host “Meeting of the Milkmaids,” the first gathering of women working in the cheese industry with makers, mongers, travelers, writers and educators. The sold-out May 6 gathering includes prominent women in the cheese industry from the U.S. and Canada.

Presenters Mary Casella (winner of the Daphne Zepos Research Award) and Babs Perkins (writer, photographer, cheese traveler) will each share history, research and impressions of women working in the dairy/cheese industry from around the world. A discussion session to address concerns facing women in a male-dominated profession, and a cheese tasting consisting of women-made cheeses will round out this special day. Breakfast and lunch will be provided by Hilltop Farm.

A raffle of cheese baskets will benefit the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund and the Daphne Zepos Teaching Endowment and includes generous donations of cheeses and other items from the Cellars at Jasper Hill, Cato Corner Farm, Nonchalant Cheese, La Salumina, Virginia Jane’s Preserves and Stony Rose Homestead.

The Meeting of the Milkmaids is a new organization whose mission is to connect, educate and support women working in the cheese industry. It was founded on the principle that when women support women, they become a force for good. The host farm, Catskill Wagyu at Hilltop Farm, is a specialty beef farm and soon-to-be completed raw milk micro dairy operated

by Barton Brooks and Rebecca Collins Brooks. The dairy will purvey cheeses made by Mrs. Brooks in the future.

For more information, contact Rebecca Collins Brooks, Catskill Wagyu at Hilltop Farm, at meetingofthemilkmaids@gmail. com or 845-687-0947.

Volunteers needed for ‘Trees for Tribs’ at Stone Dock Golf Course Stone Dock Golf Course, 12 Stone Dock Road, High Falls, is planting trees to protect and improve the Rondout Creek shoreline. These shoreline plantings stabilize the creek’s banks, reduce erosion, slow flood waters, and provide critical habitat for fish and wildlife. Volunteers are needed for the “Trees for Tribs” two fun days of planting, 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 29 and 30. Snacks will be provided.

For more information, text/call Jennifer O’Donnell at 845-687-7107.

Fears of an artificial intelligence-run dystopia are nothing new, but with the emergence of Chat GPT it’s been made clear that the future isn’t coming, it's already here. Many people have expressed concerns over the possibly detrimental effects ChatGPT could have, and it’s easy to see why. With the ability to generate predictive text based on what it believes you want to hear, it’s certainly intimidating.

It can answer most questions on a perceivably human level, but according to Brendan Tanner, an English teacher at Rondout Valley High School, it’s not as close to human as it appears at first glance.

“Especially growing up watching movies like ‘Terminator,’ I know a lot of people are really scared of AI, but very few of them have actually used it,” Tanner said. “When I first heard about ChatGPT I immediately played around with it and learned a lot. It’s really amazing what it can do, and I think a lot of people could really benefit from using it themselves.” Tanner claims that ChatGPT’s biggest fault is that it tells you what it thinks you want to hear, not what is correct.

Tanner responded to how the introduction of ChatGPT has affected him as a teacher. “I think it just shows that we need to make sure we are asking the right questions,” he said. “The first thing I did with ChatGPT was give it one of my essay prompts. Its grammar and syntax were perfect, but it really struggled with the social-emotional side of things. As teachers we try to connect our work to society and our students' emotions. Since AI has no concept of these things it does a really terrible job writing about them.

My students are currently reading ‘The Catcher in the Rye.’ If I asked ChatGPT to explain what the ducks symbolize in the novel then it would be able to answer quite well, but that’s because there is an existing pool of information about that. Instead I could ask other questions to test my students' knowledge and understanding of the text. For example, I asked what kind of music each character might listen to. The AI had a very difficult time answering this because it requires a human understanding that it just doesn’t have. The best way to deal with AI as teachers is to start asking questions that actually make students think. A lot of my colleagues are worried about plagiarism, but kids have always cheated, that’s nothing new. Sure, it’s revolutionary for them, but the creators of ChatGPT created AI detection software almost instantly. And even if they didn’t have that software the majority of students object to cheating on a moral level.”

So maybe ChatGPT isn’t the next Shakespeare, but does it pose a threat to other areas? Tanner’s response was, “Yes, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sure, it will lead to the automation of some jobs, but that just frees up more time for those people to focus on innovation instead of wasting their time on monotonous tasks.”

Should you worry about ChatGPT? Tanner says, “No, or at least not yet. In its current state ChatGPT is a very powerful tool, but it’s just that – a tool. We should all focus on how we can use this tool to our advantage instead of worrying about what it might be able to do.”

Students at Rondout Valley don’t all share Tanner’s optimistic viewpoint.

Senior August Rubin says, “I dislike ChatGPT, it takes automation to a whole new level. Now even more people will lose their jobs.” Fellow senior Cady Cardinale

A video still of Marley Pileggi, on left, during a videotaped round-table conversation with RVHS English teacher and school news editor Brendan Tanner, pictured on the right. Video taken by Thomas Childers

offers a similar view: “The advancement of AI makes me feel nervous for the future of humanity. If we put all of our trust into artificial intelligence, then we won’t think twice about the answers it puts out. Consequently, the people in control of the AI would have the ability to spread misinformation at an unprecedented level.” Classmate Dylan Bowles shared a more neutral perspective. “ChatGPT has forced teachers to reevaluate and modify learning tactics, and continues to have a pronounced effect on learning environments everywhere.”

At first glance you might have thought it would have been the teachers who were upset by ChatGPT, but apparently more students are feeling the impact. Senior Reid Wogan offered a possible explanation. “Many of the teachers at RVHS are less than 10 years from retirement, and the rest have a promising career ahead of them. They simply have a security that we,

as students, don’t have. Most of us haven’t even decided what we want to do with our life, and now we have to think about what jobs will exist in 10 years. AI just complicates an already arduous period of our lives.”

AI is still a new technology, and there is so much more to learn.

Note: According to techcrunch.com, ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI. The chatbot uses GPT-4, a large language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text.

Editor's note: Marley Pileggi is the salutatorian at Rondout Valley High School.

After graduation, Pileggi will be attending the University of Chicago, where he plans to major in linguistics with a view toward pursuing a career in law.

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Briefs SUNY Ulster’s Spring Open House returns to campus May 6 SUNY Ulster will hold its Spring Open House on the Stone Ridge campus on Saturday, May 6, beginning at 9 a.m. Prospective and accepted students and their families are invited to attend this informative and fun event.

Attendees will be able to learn more about SUNY Ulster’s programs, athletics, student support services, campus life and more. Visit the College Services Fair, take a campus tour, attend an academic program showcase presented by SUNY Ulster faculty in their academic departments, and learn everything you need to know about college admissions and the registration process.

Prospective students will be able to get help applying to SUNY Ulster, filling out their financial aid applications, and are encouraged to schedule a future one-onone session with a counselor for guidance through the entire admissions process.

Accepted students will be able to schedule an advisement and registration appointment to complete their fall schedule.

All open house guests will receive a discount on all SUNY Ulster Spirit Wear in the Senators Store, and there will be local food trucks on site with refreshments for purchase.

Registration is required for this event.

For more information, contact SUNY Ulster Admissions, Enrollment & Success Center at admissionsevents@sunyulster. edu or 845-687-5022.

School District budget finalized All the programs will remain the same Amber Kelly BSP Reporter The Rondout Valley School District BOE meeting on April 18 began in the district office with school business official Alyssa Hasbrouck giving an overview of the final proposed budget for the 2023-2024 school year. She said the tax levy goes to 3.9% but as a budget committee decided to go with 3%. She showed the state executive budget, saying the legislative budget has not come out yet.

“There are a few extenders at the governor’s request,” Hasbrouck said. “But the key point is that the building aid is finally catching up with the capital projects, it is going up by $1.9 million, although BOCES is now including the new capital project that we are financing for the next few years. Transportation is finally back up to normal, and we are finally catching up to our transportation aid.”

“With the state budget not passed, what risks does that pose for us, if any?”

Chris Schoonmaker, board vice president, asked.

“Not much,” Hasbrouck said. “Foundation aid remains the same and we are held harmless.”

“We are just waiting for the final number,” Superintendent Dr. Joseph Martin said. “Most of our aid is cost-driven. The money we spend, we get back, except for foundation aid. As Alyssa said, we remain harmless, but we are technically overfunded, but we will receive an increase,

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and that is that $500,000 increase. So right now, we anticipate that this (budget) is what we will do.”

All the programs will remain the same, with added enhancement of agricultural program and enhancement of K-3 technology program. Hiring will remain the same with addition of one K-3 technology teacher, one K-12 agriculture teacher, and one Kerhonkson Elementary School teacher.

“We have a lot of retirements coming up, forecasting for next year as well,” Hasbrouck said. “People are retiring, with top-level salaries being replaced with more entry level, so there’s a savings there.

Accounts payable will be taken over by my office, so we are taking back $70,000. We have somebody to do that here, and we’ve been transitioning that position already and it’s going well. We are extending for another year with First Student (bus transportation), and then the following year

we are going to go out to bid ... which will most likely be high … due to Covid.”

The 2022-2023 approved budget was $71,481,896, and the draft 2023-2024 budget is $75,058,323, a dollar difference of $3,576,427 and a 5% increase. The breakdown of the proposed budget is 73.3% is for program, 15.7% is capital, and 10.9% administrative expense. Grant monies will be used for security upgrades. Next month a long-term financial plan will be presented. State aid is up 11.21%.

“We are drawing less fund balance this year because our revenues are going up with the building state aid increase. The majority of our revenue is property taxes at 58%, we have 38.8% state aid, you can see that fund balance (1%) and other (2.2%) are not that much,” Hasbrouck concluded.

The board voted to pass the budget.

Page 10, April 21, 2023 , BlueStone Press

Memoriam Irma A. Robinson

ACCORD—Irma A. Robinson, 96, passed away peacefully on March 31, 2023, at Putnam Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Holmes. Irma is survived by her two sons, Frankie and Eric, and many grandchildren, cousins, and other assorted family and many caring friends.

Irma is predeceased by her husband, Frank, and her children Irma, Susan, David, Steven and Marie, her two sisters, Molly and Doris, as well as her brother Harry. Irma worked at the post office briefly as a clerk in the city, Robinson but decided to raise a family instead.

She would travel back and forth from Brooklyn and Accord, eventually calling Ulster County … her home. A mother to seven children, she effortlessly gave of herself as her children were her life. Her love for gardening and canning took up the majority of her day during the summer months, and crocheting and knitting consumed her during the colder months. Irma was an avid reader and Harlequin Romance novels were her favorite. Irma enjoyed crossword puzzles and never met a jigsaw puzzle she couldn’t conquer within a day or two.

In her last few years, Irma lived a quiet and peaceful life with her youngest son, Eric, in Carmel. At the very young age of 96, she would spend holidays with relatives, attend pickleball matches, and dance the night away at New Year’s Eve parties. Funeral arrangements for Irma were held April 15, with a viewing at George J. Moylan Funeral Home, Rosendale, followed by a service at Christ the King Church in Stone Ridge. Interment was at Fairview Cemetery in Stone Ridge after the church service, with the Rev. Marcella Gillis officiating.

Richard Floyd VanDemark

ACCORD—Richard Floyd VanDemark, a lifelong resident, passed away on April 8, 2023. He was 82. Richard was born on Dec. 27, 1940, in Ellenville, the son of Alvah and Nettie (Chrisey) VanDemark.

Richard graduated from Rondout Valley High School in 1958. Shortly after he enlisted into the United States Army and was stationed in Fort Hamilton until being deployed to Frankfurt, Germany, at Rhein-Main Air Base. Richard served with the 15th Quartermaster Battalion, earning the VanDemark rank of PVT E2. He was awarded the high ranking Sharp Shooter badge and was honorably discharged in 1965.

Following his honorable discharge, Richard worked for Channel Master, VAW, and later was a long-haul truck driver for Colandrea Trucking. More recently he retired from AERO Transporters, where he worked from 19801997. He earned several awards for safe driving and million-mile accident-free awards. He also ran a driver training program. In his downtime Richard was an avid hunter and fisherman. He also loved camping and dirt track racing. Richard is survived by his loving wife, Nancy Orser VanDemark, whom he married on Nov. 3, 1973; children, Brenda Nieves (widowed by Antonio Nieves), Christina VanDemark-Shirk and her husband, David, and Richard VanDemark and his wife, Jessica; grandchildren Heide Nieves, Donald Heil (Sabrina), Tiffani Heil (Stephen), Thomas Nieves (Devyn), Rich-

ard VanDemark, Alexa VanDemark and Abby Shirk; great-grandchildren Aria and Lyla Smith and Callie Pike; nephew Michael Gates (Maryanne) and their children Amanda and Branden. Also surviving are several lifelong friends. Richard was predeceased by his sister, Virginia Gates. Memorial visitation was held at Humiston Funeral Home, Kerhonkson, on April 20 with a service that evening. A procession formed at the funeral home today, April 21, for a graveside service with military honors at New Paltz Rural Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made in Richard’s name to the American Cancer Society.

Sean Patrick Fahey

HIGH FALLS—Sean Patrick Fahey of Bozeman, Montana, passed away unexpectedly on March 15, 2023.

He was 34. Sean was born on May 24, 1988, to Dawn (Nail) and Patrick Fahey in Rhinebeck. He grew up in High Falls and Kerhonkson and attended Rondout Valley High School, graduating with the class of 2006. It was at the DePuy Canal House in High Falls under the guidance of Chef John Novi, along with others, that Sean learned to hone his skills and find his love and passion Fahey for cooking. This passion for cooking began with his grandparents and would continue on to be his career. In 2014, he moved to Bozeman to continue his career as a chef at Big Sky Resort and most recently was a chef at the 19th Hole in Bozeman. It wasn’t unheard of for a customer to come in with no idea what they’d like to eat, yet Sean would create a culinary masterpiece that few could replicate.

Sean was a true light in people’s lives. He was a loving son, a cherished brother, a proud uncle, a loving partner and could make anyone smile. He cherished his family.

He is survived by his fiancée, Ariel Gobble of Bozeman; his parents, Dawn and Patrick Fahey of Chesapeake, Virginia; sister, Sara (Fahey) and her husband, David Nichols; nephews Ryan and Zachary of Suffolk, Virginia; and grandparents, Jim Nail of Southampton, New Jersey, Charles and Ann LaForge of Palm City, Florida, and Sheila Fahey of Dahlonega, Georgia; along with aunts, uncles and cousins. A celebration of Sean’s life will be held on Saturday, July 22, 2023, in High Falls. It will begin at 11 a.m. at High Falls falls and continue on at noon at the American Legion Post 1219, Springtown Road in Tillson.

HIGH FALLS—Lois E. Gross, a longtime former resident of High Falls, died April 13, 2023, at Ten Broeck Commons in Lake Katrine. She was born in Jamaica, Queens, on Jan. 25, 1929, a daughter of the late Ernest C. and Dorothy Randel Smith. Lois was an area resident most of her life and had been employed as a bookkeeper/secretary at several area businesses until her retirement. Lois was a member of High Falls Community Church since 1966, where she was a former member of the Women's Guild Gross and active in many church activities.

She was a former Girl Scout Leader and an Avon representative for more than 30 years. Lois enjoyed traveling, collecting anything with cardinals, and spending time with her family. Her husband of 57 years, Eugene P. "Gene" Gross, died June 15, 2008, and a daughter, Patti Serrecchio, died January 1, 2011. She is survived by two daughters, Julie Boice (Dan) of High Falls and Lee Potter Paashaus of Cottekill,

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ROSENDALE—Michael “Cappy” Caponero unexpectedly passed away on April 15, 2023, in Yemassee, South Carolina. He was born in New York City on Aug. 11, 1936, to Joseph and Theresa Gentile Caponero. He is survived by his sister, Dolores Contini (Atillio) of Bloomington, and his eight children: Joseph Caponero (Anita), Albert Caponero, Michael Caponero (Jane), Teresa Evans (Dan), Carol Connolly (Bart), Thomas Collins, Christine Williams (Greg) and Maria Cathcart (Marc).

Caponero Cappy has 15 grandchildren and more great-grandchildren as well as nieces and nephews. Cappy was owner and operator of Cappy’s Happy Hour in Tillson since 1977. Cappy was an avid sportsman who enjoyed camping, hunting and fishing.

As a proud member of the community, he was a former dog warden, a former town councilman and a Life Member of the Tillson Fire Company. Cappy also volunteered as a hunter safety instructor with the NYS DEC for over 50 years and was a member of the NRA. Cappy loved his family very much. He was always the life of the party, and we could always count on him for a few good laughs. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, at the George J. Moylan Funeral Home, 2053 Route 32, Rosendale. His funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 27, at the funeral home. Pastor Joshua Ortman will officiate. Interment will follow at the St. Peter’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are suggested to the Charles Haas Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o S. Marks, 1116 East Road, High Falls, NY 12440 or to the Bread of Life Food Pantry, King’s Fire Church, 865 Neighborhood Road, Lake Katrine, NY 12449. (www.

GJMoylanFuneralHome.com)

Daniel James Miller

Lois E. Gross

Where will you Rest in Peace?

and son-in-law Joseph Serrecchio of New Paltz. Also survived by two grandsons, Andrew Potter of Astoria, Queens, and Samuel Serrecchio of New Paltz, and a niece, Cheryl Black of Section, Alabama. Visitation for family and friends was April 18 at the George J. Moylan Funeral Home, Rosendale. Her funeral service held was the following day at the funeral home. The Rev. Aaron Schulte officiated. Interment followed at the High Falls Cemetery. Memorial donations are requested to the High Falls Community Church, P.O. Box 68, High Falls, NY 12440.

KERHONKSON—Daniel James Miller died on March 23, 2023, at his home. He was born Dec. 8, 1959, in Schenectady to Joan (Calhoun) Miller and the late Thayer C. Miller. A lifelong resident of the area, Daniel enjoyed snowmobiling, boating and fishing, and you could always find him playing computer poker on his phone just passing time. For many years Daniel drove a truck for Jet Messenger and then Murray’s Chicken. He will be missed by all who knew him. Besides his mother, Joan, Daniel is survived by his children, Robert Miller of Kerhonkson, Tasha Marie Miller of Wallkill, and Jeremy Miller of New Paltz; his grandchildren, Jason and Jayla Black; his brothers, Michael Miller (LuAnn) of Accord, and Dennis Miller (Jane) of Kerhonkson; and his sisters, Patricia Atkins (Ernest) and Cathaleen Lightstone (Lance), all of Kerhonkson. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews. Besides his father, Daniel was predeceased by his brother Thomas Miller. Memorial visitation for family and friends was held at Humiston Funeral Home, Kerhonkson, on April 5. A memorial gathering and interment will be in the West Jefferson Cemetery, Jefferson, at a later date.

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April 21, 2023

Local money, local ideas

Page 11

Dennis Ballentine owner of Outpost BBQ on left in front of the music stage. Currently serving food in the room pictured on right. Photos by Thomas Childers

Outpost BBQ is expanding music hall Thomas Childers BSP Reporter Outpost BBQ is expanding its pavilion into a beautiful dining/music hall. When asked what inspired Outpost BBQ to be created, owner Dennis Ballentine responded, “OK, so I think it's not an answer that you usually get when you ask that question. Because I think my approach to life is a little different. I usually don't pray for anything specific. I pray for health and prosperity, and peace on earth. That's what I pray for. And then I show up and allow the universe to work its magic. And that's how we wound up here. Just showing up and being diligent, consistent, and honest. And see what happens.”

Ballentine remarked on the origin of Outpost BBQ. “Holy mackerel. It's been that long – 2007 or 2008, we served our first BBQ. And we bought the shack in 2010 or 2011. And had it in two different locations until 2016.

Which is the year that we bought this property (on Route 209, south of the 44/55 intersection). So we were closed for 2017, which took the year to renovate this property into the first iteration of Outpost BBQ. And we opened this facility in April 2018. So we've been here for five years, but we had the shack on the side of the road from 2010 to 2016 … for six years. The shack is what gave us, you know, a little advantage, the little push. When we opened this place a lot of people already knew about the shack.”

Outpost BBQ has a pair of white horses named Skip and Drifter on the restaurant's property. Ballentine said, “They are appendix quarter horses, which I have had for 23 and 24 years, respectively. I got them both when they were a year old, and they've been together their whole lives.”

Appendix quarter horses are a cross between a registered quarter horse and a registered thoroughbred. When asked if the horses were retired, Ballentine said, “They are semi-retired. We exercise them and ride them lightly in the summer, mostly. We expect that we're probably going

to have some friends over doing some little equine-like activities here at some point in the future.”

Outpost’s plans for the new dining/music hall are really cooking. Ballentine said, “We are going to offer the community a really high-quality culinary, music entertainment and dance experience –because we dance. That's what we do, all different kinds … This is a dance space.

That's what it is. You know, it is really a dance hall. You go down South, yeah, anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon Line … You know, you go to Nashville, Tennessee, anyplace, you go to the Carolinas or Florida, certainly Louisiana, Texas, and or Kansas City … you know, there are dance halls. Every other restaurant that you go to has a stage, and there's live music almost every night. That's just the way it is. People grow up with music. Not so in the Northeast … this Northeast culture is void of that kind of influence.”

When asked if Outpost will be expanding its menu along with the new space, Ballentine said, “Well, one of the things that we plan to do is we plan to pair the food to the music … have a Latin night here, and we have a salsa band here. Then we will have some specials that are about that, so that some food that’s served goes with the music. Same thing if we have a Zydeco band, we want a taste of what's going to be going on here. Because that's jambalaya, the crawfish pie, and gumbo.”

Ballentine continued, “And if there's one thing I believe in life is, you don't have to have alcohol to have a good time ... But you know, a bottle of wine, a glass of wine, or a glass of beer does, you know, go well with a nice barbecue. As long as it is discreet and it is managed properly, it

will only be an asset … No hard liquor. It’s not what we do.

This is a family-oriented business.” When asked if Outpost is also considering expanding their hours beyond the current Thursday-Sunday, Ballentine responded, “Yes, eventually … See, I'm still running a used car sales and service business (Minnewaska Motors). So I still have to figure out how to be in two places at one time. So as the restaurant develops, I'm going to be scaling the car business back and eventually closing, eventually shutting that down. And this is going to be what I do. So it'll probably take another year or two to get to that point, but I'm gonna have all I can do when this place gets busy.”

Ballentine thanked all who helped turn the pavilion into the dining/music hall, saying, “This was built exclusively by local contractors, artisans and friends. All the lumber was cut and sawed locally. All the excavating, plumbing, electrical staff, all local contractors, and customers. It's a community effort. There's no question about that.”

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Page 12

Briefs

April 21, 2023

Take me out to the ballgame, RVLL opens season Jeff Slater BSP Reporter

Taylor Marcel with his mother, Allison Ward, stepfather, Stephen Ward, and sister, Bethany Marcel.

Gander Athlete Taylor Marcel to attend Carson Newman University Rondout Valley High School Senior Taylor Marcel signed a letter of intent to attend Carson-Newman University. Marcel will be majoring in Photography and Digital Media while competing in Collegiate Level Bass Fishing. He plans to pursue a career as a Professional Bass Angler and/ or a Professional Freelance Outdoor Content Creator.

Marcel is a seasoned fisherman who has been casting his line since childhood. He is a regular competitor in fishing tournaments nationwide, and recently secured his third straight Student Angler Federation New York State Championship.

The signing, which took place on March 29 at the Meehan/Million Turf Field, honored the fisherman while surrounded by his family, friends, and district administrators. Marcel thanked his family for supporting him, and his friends for listening to him constantly talk about fish.

He looks forward to pursuing his passion in the great outdoors.

Carson-Newman University is located in Jefferson City, Tennessee. Marcel will join them for the 2024 Fall Semester.

For more information, call 845-6872400, ext. 2401 or email dgottstine@ rondout.k12.ny.us.

Golfers needed for Rondout Valley Lions Club Hackers Open Tournament The Rondout Valley Lions Club will host the Hackers Open Golf Tournament on Monday, May 8, with a 9 a.m. shotgun start and lunch at the completion of the round, at Stone Dock Golf Course, 12 Stone Dock Road, High Falls. The $125 per player registration fee includes breakfast, lunch, cart and green fees. There are also optional contests with a $20 raffle table. Multiple sponsorship opportunities are available.

For more information and tournament registration, email daniel@gagnoncpa. com or call Dan Gagnon at 845-399-9561.

On Saturday, April 22, Rondout Valley Little League will have its opening day.

“After a ceremony – we have the Rosendale-Tillson American Legion coming down, they’re Post 1219, and they are doing the opening ceremony – all the teams will be playing at some point during the day,” said Chris Miller, RVLL president.

“The concession stand will be going, and we’ll have an announcer in the booth. The local first responders will be on hand, and we have Joe O’Connor coming down from O’Connor & Partners Law Firm, who made a considerable donation to the league.

So, people can come down and enjoy the festivities and grab a bite to eat. The ceremony starts at 11 a.m. The first majors game will start at noon.”

With about 130 kids signed up, there are several divisions for the boys and girls to play in. There is T-ball for ages 4-6. There is coach pitch, which usually starts at age 7 but for some advanced players starts at age 6, and up to age 9. Then there is kid pitch, which is generally for boys and girls 8-10 years old, and the majors is 10-12 years old (they can play at age 9 if they’re very advanced). There also is a girls’ coach-pitch softball team for ages 6-10.

“This year they have two major teams, two kid pitch teams (minors), two coachpitch teams, and four T-ball teams and one girls’ coach-pitch team,” said Miller.

The fields are in great condition compared with the flooding last year. “We started working on the fields in January,” Miller said. “We had a tremendous turnout for a couple of cleanup days.”

The majors are playing 15 games, and the season runs from this Saturday until the middle of June. The teams play Mountain Valley (Onteora), Indian Valley

Kids preparing for opening day at Snyder Field in Rosendale. Photo by Jeff Slater

(Rochester) and Ellenville Little League teams, plus each other. They play two games a week.

“I’ve been doing this on and off for the last 25 years coaching,” said Miller, “and to me it’s about the kids. And when a kid gets it, makes a good play or gets a hit, and their teammates are cheering them on and running up to them, that pump that they get, that adrenaline they get, is contagious.

I just want to say that it’s very important for the parents to be there for that.

Because when the kids are getting done looking at their coaches and teammates, they’re going to look for their parents to give them the thumbs-up, the smile, and that’s why I’m here. This game is about when strangers become friends and friends become family,” said Miller.

The kids are excited about their big day.

Matthew Bresnahan, a player in the major division, said, “I’m looking forward to playing some first base, maybe catching, and some pitching. I like that it’s really competitive and tons of people play but there are two teams so not everybody is on

the same team.”

Cameron Miller, another player in the major division, said, “I’m looking forward to getting a nice hit on opening day and then go to first or second. I like playing second base or shortstop, and I’d also like to catch a popup or make a nice throw to first or second.”

Joseph Fontana, an 8-year-old in the kid-pitch division, said, “I am looking forward to pitching. I also play third base and first base.”

If people want to volunteer, the league is always happy to take them on. You can come down to the field and ask at the concession stand or email RVLL.com to sign up to be a volunteer.

Come on down to Snyder Field on Route 213, Rosendale, and experience these boys and girls playing our national pastime.

Play ball!

Editor’s note: Opening day for the Indian Valley Little League is also on April 22.

Look for a spring preview of their season in the next BSP edition.

Unified basketball team hopes to continue its run of success Jeff Slater BSP Reporter After an undefeated 2022 season, unified basketball is gearing up for the current season.

The team is composed of students from the 15/1 and special ed programs, with partners from the regular ed program acting as coaches and mentors. This year the partners are Julia Deyo, Farhan Bhuyan and Sumner Barra-King. These athletes help to facilitate play on the court for their athletes. They also assist in coaching and lineup selections. Partners set a positive tone and encourage good sportsmanship.

The partners are an enormous part of the athlete’s success. They have an understanding of their jobs, do not take center stage, and allow their team to shine on the court. This year it is very evident.

Deyo said, “I have been a partner for three years and have enjoyed assisting my team to an undefeated season. I’m looking

RVHS Unified Basketball Team 2023. Photo by Marianne Hawruluk

forward to another great season.”

The team is coached by Ira Bickoff, a physics teacher at Rondout Valley High School. Marianne Hawryluk, a teaching assistant at the high school, is the assistant coach, and Eliana Barnum, a TA in the life skills class at RVHS, is the chaperone.

The Rondout unified basketball team was started in April 2017 with this mission: “Unified sports participation is rooted in the meaningful involvement which ensures that every player is given an opportunity to

See Sports, page 15

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Letters policy Please send letters to the editor to the BlueStone Press by email at bluepress@aol. com or send to P.O. Box 149, Stone Ridge, NY 12484. Include your name, hometown and daytime phone number. Letters should be fewer than 500 words and may be edited for clarity, brevity and taste. Letters won't appear in consecutive editions from the same author. The BSP hopes that, in the spirit of community dialogue, readers and writers in the letters section are respectful of a diversity of viewpoints. We desire considered opinions on issues of local interest.

Call 687-4480 with questions.

Your letters, views & ideas

April 21, 2023

Happy Earth Day Macro

Micro

Marbletown Community Center a precious resource To the Editor: I would like to argue for the Marbletown Community Center and other in-town public spaces.

I believe a primary job of town government is to provide shared resources residents can't easily create individually – things like parks and community centers where residents can meet each other, where they can hold potlucks and parties.

But, one might argue, moving the functions of the Community Center to the Rondout Municipal Center falls into that folder! And with outdoor facilities to boot – residents could picnic, potluck, and end with kids on the playground and a rousing round of pickleball. All true.

But one thing the RMC doesn't have? The same address.

It's not just public spaces that matter, but also where they are located.

When we moved here nine years ago, Stone Ridge seemed a real, live, town, complete with downtown civic offerings like a library, town hall and community center.

It seemed a place where community was valued, where density was directed toward the center.

The 2011 draft Marbletown Hamlet Plan (on the town website) even launches with the question, “How can we develop and promote our core hamlets, enhance their sense of place, enable Marbletown to provide vibrant commerce, economic vitality and social balance while preserving our rural character, historic heritage, and environmental integrity?”

The plan seems to sugges t encouraging hamlet development over rural sprawl. Wonderfully, our sidewalks connect the existing Community Center to many of our restaurants, to our library, and even (almost) to our grocery store. People who live in town can walk to all the things. People who live outside of town can drive to town, park once, and then walk to all the things.

The Rondout Municipal Center has many wonderful assets, yes. But it's not downtown. It's not even in greater Marbletown – it's in rural Rosendale.

Despite the hamlet plan's goals, we've withdrawn our town hall. Now we may be considering the same for our community center. Next up is the aging town garage – that little park on the side hosts a rare downtown public picnic table.

In an understandable (and admirable) effort to spend public money efficiently, we risk systematically sterilizing the town, one community spot after the next. Downtown public space is precious. Please don't gut this gem that helps draw us together.

Alison Stewart Stone Ridge Editor's note: Alison Stewart reported on the Town of Marbletown for the BSP in the past and we are grateful that she subs in occasionally to help us out.

A minor correction/addition To the Editor: A recent article about the Marbletown Community Center mentioned that it had been used as a Methodist Church. I am not contesting whether it ever was a place of Methodist worship. Although the former

Methodist Church is almost next door. Rather I am adding information that the building served as a place of Episcopal worship for Stone Ridge with financial support from the Leggett Estate for many years until the late 1950s, when the Episcopal Diocese of New York combined the parishes of Rosendale, High Falls and Stone Ridge. Then the Diocese helped to build the Episcopal Church of Christ the King on Route 213E. A second minor correction: The April Community Lunch at Christ the King was on April 11.

Andy Lutz Stone Ridge Editor’s note: The former Episcopal place of worship in Rosendale is now the site of the Rosendale Library, the one in High Falls was, until fairly recently, the site of the D&H Canal Museum (now at the former Depuy Canal House), and Mr. Lutz told us about the Stone Ridge site, which now houses the Marbletown Community Center.

Rosendale Library’s future To the Editor: Thank you for your continuing coverage of the community dialogue about the future of the Rosendale Library in your April 7 issue, and especially the summary of questions and answers from the recent listening sessions.

The article recapped previously reported comments by elected officials at the first session. We attended a second, where members of the general public, including parents and current and retired educators, stressed the importance of encouraging early literacy through story hours and book borrowing. Many said the lack of a separate children's room constrains this vital activity; two parents fretted that the current children's programs are disruptive for other library patrons.

The facilitator let participants do the talking; staff provided factual answers to their questions as reported in the Q&A summary. Residents mentioned playing games, practicing crafts, and learning about local history at the library. They offered varied ideas for additional services beyond what the current available space can support.

One commented that the library provided an increasingly rare free resource for intergenerational activities, access to technology, and an alternative to social isolation.

Let's keep up this dialogue and build consensus around an effective, affordable strategy to expand the wonderful

resources that library staff and volunteers now provide by supporting a larger facility. It would strengthen what is already an unusually engaged community and would benefit residents of all ages.

Christine Hunter & Lou Venech Rosendale

Occupancy taxes should support our residents To the Editor: In March, the Ulster County Legislature passed a resolution for a Home Rule request to the state legislature to increase the county’s occupancy tax rate from 2% to 4%. Sometimes called a “bed tax,” the occupancy tax is levied on all hotel, motel and short-term rental stays, and is common throughout the state. Our neighbors all have occupancy tax rates at least double that of Ulster County: Dutchess County has had a 4% occupancy tax rate since 2004; Orange and Sullivan counties both have an occupancy tax of 5% and continue to see growth in visitor spending. I agree with the County Legislature that we are long past due for a sensible tax rate that better aligns with our neighbors, but we must guarantee that any new revenue raised is invested in priorities that will serve our residents and local businesses, and not simply deposited in the General Fund for any purpose.

Two areas of investment, in particular, will help our residents with affordability while supporting tourism and a thriving local economy: housing and transportation. Both require a sustained investment over time and both make sense to help fund with dedicated occupancy tax revenue.

There is no disputing that we face a housing crisis in Ulster County. We simply do not have enough housing that our residents can afford, and the situation is desperate for many families and seniors. One in three renters in Ulster County spend more than half their income to keep a roof over their heads, leaving them with too little to pay for food and the other necessities of life.

It’s not just our residents who suffer – our businesses suffer, too. The single greatest complaint I hear from the business community, including those in the tourism industry, is the difficulty of finding workers, and that’s in good part because of the disconnect between what they See more letters, page 15

What’s your opinion? Write your letter to the editor.

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BlueStone Press, April 21, 2023 , Page 15

Wordle Dear Wally – My family has a group-text thread going and, despite the collective decision to not post Wordle scores (we all agreed to stop doing it as it was pushy, obnoxious, unbecoming, boastful, and a “waste of the Internet”), some members are still doing it!

Just venting a bit.

My question is, should I simply ignore the text boast violators? Or should I call them out with a cease-and-desist order or some shaming? – Wordle Nerd Dear Wordle Nerd – Posting Wordle scores these days is démodé, especially when it has been generally agreed (pinkie promised?) to be snuffed out in a given, defined, online community, like your family text thread. What you have going on is assorted indecorous cases of “humblebragging,” which don’t usually happen with well-adjusted, secure, mature folks. Or rather, if one needs to wave a decent or excellent Wordle score about, there might be more afoot?

So, what’s really up? Who needs what (attention? respect? the spotlight? validation? confidence? love?) that they aren’t getting? Sadly, I can’t give you specific answers

Rosendale from page 6 were having events prior to that meeting, and that's what facilitated you ultimately coming to that meeting after a number of requests that you would at least acknowledge the town when you have your events. We enjoyed complaints from all and up and down James Street, which we normally do. Which ultimately led you to come to the board however many years (ago) with a site plan, and the discussion was you could have the event subsequent to that. You haven’t come to the board in years to present another site plan because there were problems with that first and second and third and subsequent ones, weren’t there, Ron? “Our police had to come to your event to mitigate the issues your event was creating,” Hassett continued, “whether it be loud noise or people up and down Main Street going to their cars in the public parking lot. At the

More letters from page 14 can pay those workers and what it costs to live here.

In my State of the County address in February, I proposed we create a County Housing Fund with an initial investment of $15 million of the County’s current surplus to catalyze the development of housing that people can afford. This Fund would work hand-in-hand with a countywide Land Bank, which the Legislature has started the process to create. If we also dedicate to the Fund the revenue from one percent of the occupancy tax (approx. $1.5 million annually), we can ensure a sustained investment to help meet this most basic need for years to come.

Dedicating a portion of annual occupancy tax revenues to housing makes a lot of sense, especially given that a good part of this tax revenue comes from short-term rentals, which have contributed to the current housing shortage.

Another 1% of the occupancy tax increase should be dedicated to transportation. The additional $1.5 million

snout and call them out on the transgresbecause I don’t know the players. But with a whiff of empathy, are any going through hard sion. Maybe even make a few Wordle games times? Maybe they are with partners they don’t out of, and into, the message you want to feel especially heard by at the moment? Or reinforce? (CEASE) (WORDL) (BRAGS) (LOSmaybe the parenting or work piece is stressing ER). You might be able to transmogrify the them out and they need to grab a thin win here situation … and there? As kids, did you guys pick on each Or maybe set the bar to something way other or gang up on one, which might make this more difficult and less luck-based. Challenge a cool dish of vindication/validation? the group to only post the time needed to Once upon a short time, Wordle boasting finish, without assistance, the NYT Sunday was acceptable. But that was when we were Crossword Puzzle. That ought to slow the roll all cooped-up hermit hens languidly panting a bit … through a pandemic and the resulting anoYou know them better than I do. My recalcimie. And also, Wordle was brand new. One trant family members who (still) dare to post does stuff. Especially in extenuating, globally Wally Nichols their Wordle scores are berated, shamed and oppressive circumstances. One does stuff ignored. But we can take it. they might not be extra proud of when the big – Wally picture vision settles back to 20/20 (hoarding toilet paper and discarding rubber gloves in ShopRite parking lots Got a question for our advice columnist or the answer leap to mind). key to this week’s Sunday crossword puzzle? Email him at Depending on the playfulness of the family group, it could be fun to pop the next offending sibling in the cwn4@aol.com.

Dear Wally

same time we are entertaining complaints from businesses that say, ‘He is having an event and charging for it, and I have customers coming to me saying they have nowhere to park so I am going somewhere else.’ So when you referenced my name however many years ago and make it seem like to the board everything was all right because of Ken. I remember specifically you were to come back each and every time with conditions because there were problems. And you blew it off, Ron, you blew it off. You never came back because you thought that was your golden ticket. And it wasn’t. And this town has had to deal with your events each and every year, be it complaints from neighbors or complaints from businesses that they don’t have the ability to park their customers because you are having events with anywhere between 100-300 people.

And you are making money on it, Ron. You’re charging for it, bud.” Parente responded, “Please stop yelling,” but Hassett continued.

“It says $10 on the thing,” Hassett said. “It says $10 on the thing. Please don’t insult my intelligence, don’t insult my intelligence. We all know what it said. We all know

what you have done for years and years and years. You sit here saying I’m so sorry.”

Parente asked Hassett, “Do you have to be like that?”

Hassett answered, “No, because I am a little angry because we are dealing with this 10 years later and you are using my name to somehow justify to this board that you are somehow in compliance. You are nuts, sir, enough said, never happened.”

Parente said, “Well, the money goes to …” and Hassett interrupted, “Never happened, I don’t care where the money goes, Ron. Nothing for nothing, 10-plus years you have been doing this, I am president of the Rosendale Food Pantry, you haven’t given me a dime for the poor people in town, never even approached. With that said, I am sure you are doing good things with the money you are getting. Enough said.”

Parente said, “I don’t need to be yelled at. Thank you,” and left the meeting room.

Walsh said, “OK, guys, enough. We are done.”

Hassett said, “Sorry, supervisor.”

in annual revenue would more than cover the costs of offering UCAT bus service for free to residents and visitors, as we are now doing, and the balance of funds can be dedicated to support for expanded service. This is another one of those investments with multiple benefits to communities and the economy – providing an affordable way for residents to get around, for workers to get to work, and for visitors to explore our county. And importantly, public transportation is good for the environment and air quality, especially as the County continues to electrify its bus fleet. (And by the way, if you haven't ridden UCAT’s electric buses, you’re in for a treat – they are an exceptionally smooth ride!)

Dedicating the 2% occupancy tax increase to housing and transportation will ensure that revenues raised from visitors to Ulster County will be used to support the residents and local businesses of Ulster County. Together, we can create a sustainable, resilient, thriving Ulster County that leaves no one behind.

Sports

Jen Metzger Ulster County Executive

News tip? Contact the BSP: bluestonepress.net !!

from page 12 contribute to the success of his or her team through their unique skills and qualities.”

This year’s team players are Olivia Jeter, Destiny Wood, Ethan Tur, Shea Malenski, Julian Perez, Alex Deitsch, Charles Scully and Nathan Wright.

Hawryluk said, “Their success can be attributed to the desire to play the game and the joy of being part of a team.

The athletes look forward to every opportunity to practice, play and wear their uniform to represent their school. Lots of team and school spirit at these games. Families and spectators are their biggest fans! The gym becomes full of cheering and supportive chants and applause. The athletes are energized by their accolades. It’s a pretty spectacular event. I am so fortunate to again be coaching such wonderful athletes. They are full of enthusiasm and team spirit.

Each athlete brings a unique and special gift to the team.

When they play it’s magic.”

This is my second year being involved in unified basketball,” said Barnum. “Watching the students play is exciting.

Their joy is contagious.”

The team will play Kingston HS, Red Hook HS, New Paltz HS, Beacon City HS and Wappingers HS. The season will conclude with a Unified Basketball Tournament at the end of the season, on May 23.

The team will play home games at 4:30 p.m. on April 25 and 27, May 3 and 11 in the main gym. For the schedule, visit the Rondout Valley website, rondout.k12.ny.us.

Come out and see them in action.

Page 16

Your friends and community

April 21, 2023

Library of Congress acquires Jim Metzner's soundscape collection Chelsea Miller BSP Reporter When you dial in, the world gets loud. Whether it is the cacophony of spring peepers, the satisfying whir of the coffee grinder on early winter mornings, or the rhythmic breathing of a sleeping baby that sends endorphins down to the bone, our lives are made up of sound. Lomontville resident and soundscape pioneer Jim Metzner has dedicated his life to capturing the sounds of our planet and our lives, and on April 27, the Library of Congress is celebrating the acquisition of his decades deep collection with a full day of programming, including three soundscapes and a conversation with Jad Abumrad, founder of Radiolab.

Metzner grew up on Long Island, just a short walk to the ocean. And while the ocean is most certainly one of the first sounds he identifies as loving, when pressed, he points to a more domestic but no less rich sound memory. You see, for Metzner, sound is often connected to a specific moment.

“One of the sounds I remember is being on the stair and my mother vacuuming with an old Electrolux vacuum,” he says. “I remember the whoosh of that vacuum cleaner. That sound went into my chest – a synesthetic memory. In that moment, the memory of that sound is a feeling of warmth; it wasn’t an Electrolux, it was something magical.”

Metzner also has strong memories of his grandfather and the connection between his voice and his presence, that he would later explore in a project called “Sound Memory” – a program that consisted of interviews with various people about their earliest sound memories and woven together with sound. “I remember my grandfather’s voice, which was so linked to his presence. My grandfather was a formidable figure in my life. He was quiet. He would stand in the living room at the window looking out for quite a long time, and then he’d turn to me and say, ‘Well, Jimela, this is it.’”

During his high school years, Metzner took to the stage and, eschewing the typical career path of doctor or lawyer, decided to audition for drama school. “That year the Yale drama school was having an audition for actors right out of high school for the first time, so I thought what the hell?

Darned if I didn’t get in. For three years, I went to Yale School of Drama on scholarship, and I thought I’d be an actor.” While at Yale, he gravitated toward experimental theater and the work of Polish director and theorist Jerzy Grotowski in particular. After graduation, a determined Metzner headed to Poland to attempt to study with Grotowski – who did not accept any students that year. And in this one case, Metzner would not prove the exception. In Poland, Metzner surveyed his options: Head back to the States or figure out somewhere else. He went to England with the intention of continuing his stage career, but once there he found that work for an American actor was far and few between. Metzner, who is also a singer-songwriter, began busking (according to dictionary.com, “busking” is defined as “the activity of playing music in the street or another public place for voluntary donations”) his folk music on the streets. Busking led to gigs in pubs, which led to a manager, which led him to a robust music career. Metzner says that he was primarily an opening act – however, an opening act for some pretty big deal names including T-Rex and Pink Floyd. By 1970, Metzner had cut a single, but he didn’t like it, refused to sign the contract and headed back to the U.S. It was at this point that Metzner has his first brush with the Hudson Valley. When he landed back in the States he stayed with his brother in Shady before going to Boston to continue his music career. Many gigs and one opening for Tina Turner later and Metzner started to realize that something was missing … somewhere along the way he had lost his love of the music. “I decided to go back to school,” explains Metzner. “I went to University of Massachusetts to study ethnomusicology (where music meets anthropology). I started to learn how to cut tape and edit.

I started to fall in love with sound recording.” There were early indicators that Metzner would be a vanguard in the field of sound. “One of the first sounds I ever recorded

Jim Metzner, Lomontville resident and soundscape pioneer, recording at a wildlife sanctuary on New Zealand’s South Island. Photo by Raimo Kuparinen.

was when I was in a restaurant in Northampton, Massachusetts,” says Metzner. “It was a funky little restaurant in a caboose of a train car, and their refrigerator had this funky motor that sounded like a Model-T starting up, and it made this vibrant, percussive rhythm. I recorded it and it reminded me of something – I had been listening to Valiha music from Madagascar, and I thought it was similar, and I created a piece called ‘Freeze Madagascar’ that segued from the sound of the motor of that refrigerator to Valiha music from Madagascar, and you’d be hard pressed to find the moment where the transition happened.”

During this time, he also started as an assistant to the legendary American photographer Minor White and was selected to be one of two assistants on what would turn out to be Minor's last cross-country trip. Along the way, not only would he spend time hanging out with another seminal photographer, Ansel Adams (who, for all the photography nerds out there, Metzner describes as “elfish, puckish, brimming with energy and good cheer, a never-ending bubble of energy”), he also brought along his tape recorder, fascinated by the meeting of photography and sound.

The first project that Metzner classifies as “his work” took the form of a self-published magazine of aural and visual art entitled Sound Image, which was an LP accompanied by a folio of text and images supplied by his photography colleagues (including Minor White and Lotte Jacobi). Metzner would end up putting out three Sound Images and riding that wave, convinced the government of Brazil and PanAm airlines to fly him to Brazil to produce “Bahia: Traditional Music of Brazil.” The Brazilian government bought a thousand copies and gave it to their embassies, and this project would prove to be the stepping stone, the springboard, to appear in the media.

“I had fallen in love with sound recording I thought it was the coolest thing in the world – why wasn’t everyone doing this?” says Metzner. “Frankly, it remains the coolest thing in the world. I tried every way that I could to get the sounds out – not just music but other sounds. I started selling sounds out of the trunk of my car, which had its ups and downs, when I started thinking that there had to be another way.” It occurred to Metzner that if there was one medium for listeners, it had to be the radio, and so he put together a sample program entitled “I Listen to Boston” that included iconic sounds of the city, and headed to WEEI FM, which was owned by CBS and at the time was the home of soft "Rainbow Rock" in Boston.

“The program director graciously agreed to meet me,” says Metzner. “I plunked the album on his desk and said, this is me and what I’ve done. Would you please put this headset on – it’s only five minutes long. He did. And at that time not many people had heard stereo, ambient sound. All of sudden he puts the headset on and he hears a newspaper hawker in Copley Square, and he just got it.

He said, OK, you want to do this? He told me to go back out and bring him back five of them and asked me to put their call letters on it. He also made the right suggestion to call it ‘You’re Hearing Boston.’ The city was so sonorous, with great history, and a month later I got the telephone call that changed my life. It was the radio station – they sold it.”

Suddenly, it wasn’t just “You’re Hearing Boston,” it was also now “You’re Hearing San Francisco.” And eventually, with underwriting from Maxwell Tape, “You’re Hearing America.” The ascent and the awards were officially happening. Metzner began working with other independent producers all over the country. “You’re Hearing America” turned into “The Sounds of Science” with Dupont as the underwriter. “I started to syndicate on both sides of the dial, both commercial and public,” says Metzner. “We were one of the first radio programs in those days to talk about global warming – no one was talking about it then … we did.”

Dupont was also one of the first sponsors of arguably one of Metzner’s best known projects, “Pulse of the Planet.”

“I’m an eclectic person. I knew I didn’t want it to be another program telling people we were going to hell in a handbasket – there is enough of that,” explains Metzner.

“There are other things happening in the world worthy of our attention that aren’t violence, death and disaster. I wanted ‘Pulse of the Planet’ to be a daily affirmation that there was a pulse to this planet – and that is something worthy of our attention. You hear the sounds of an environment, and it gives you more than words can convey. The sounds convey the heart of a story in a way that words cannot.”

Two years ago, Metzner received a second call that would change his life. The Library of Congress had acquired his library of sounds. “From the beginning of my work I knew the work was important, so I started taking notes and meticulously storing the files, first on note cards and then on the computer,” says Metzner. “So eventually, I had a database where it was findable. When the Library of Congress got wind of it – a guy who had programs up the wazoo and the files and the notes and the database – they contacted me, and it will now be there for the ages, and will be shared.”

On April 27, there will be an extraordinary celebration of Metzner’s work on the fabled Mahogany Row of the Library of Congress’s Jefferson Building. The celebration will last an entire day, which will include presentations in a series of adjoining rooms, the first containing sounds of the morning, the second, the sounds of the afternoon, the third, the sounds of the evening, and the last hosting a retrospective of his work. By walking through the connected room, curious listeners can literally traverse the sounds of the whole day in a few minutes, a time-lapse listen of an entire day. Metzner will also be interviewed by Abumrad, founder, producer and host of Radiolab. “I’m overwhelmed and can’t quite believe it’s happening,” says Metzner.

Next up for the man who seems to have visited everywhere and listened to everything? Writing. In addition to his sound crowdsourcing project entitled “The American Soundscape Project,” where everyday citizens are encouraged to record the sounds of their lives and upload to contribute, he is also expanding his work as a writer, with sound at the very heart of the matter. In addition to his novel, “Sacred Mounds,” published in 2020, he is also working on a new book entitled “Adventures of a Lifelong Listener.”

When asked what his favorite sound is today, Metzner’s answer is deeply tied to this little neck of the world.

Metzner, who lives in Lomontville with his wife, says that while his favorite sound is always changing, at the moment he is appreciating what he classifies as the in-between sounds. “For example, when I walk out into my backyard with an umbrella on a rainy day I hear the satisfying pat of the rain hitting my umbrella and then I hear the rain hit the plastic my wife has used to keep weeds down in a garden bed – it sounds different than the rain hitting the umbrella. Being in the midst of that, being in the middle of two vibrations ... I love being in the mix of the stereo.”

For info on Jim Metzner visit: jimmetznerproductions. com, pulseplanet.com or americansoundscapes.com

BlueStone Press, January 6, 2022, Page 17

“Hyman:” Larry Bush crafts a randy rainbow rabbi for the ages Writers need to be willing to “kill their darlings,” ruthlessly eliminating clever turns of phrase that don’t serve the greater purpose of the work. But not many of us almost kill our literary idols.

“I actually saw Philip Roth live once,” says Lawrence Bush. “He was reading at Bard. He was kind of one of my absolute heroes, so I came to the hall with an armload of lilacs. There were two podiums, and I put the lilacs in water on the other one -- and then about three quarters of the way through this brilliant reading, he starts sniffling and having a really hard time with his throat, I noticed, when I got in line to say hello, that the smell of lilacs was incredibly strong, and he hadn’t realized where it was coming from but was having this horrid allergic reaction. So yeah, I nearly killed Phillip Roth.”

Anne The Rondout Valley writer, Pyburn Craig artist and editor knows that some who read his new novel, “Hyman,” will hear echoes of progressive Jewish leaders of the late 20th century in the attitude of his main character, a charismatic rabbi coming to the end of his run. But it’s not meant to be a roman-a-clef; he’s not telling tales out of school.

“Some people might see echoes of Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the founder of the Jewish Renewal movement, but all I really know about Zalman is that a lot of people loved him,” says Bush. “Or Shlomo Carlebach, the Manhattan Cantor. They’re both heroes of the era and at one time or another there was the perception that they had issues being considered by some to be promiscuous.

But Hyman is strictly a creature of my own imagination.”

What an imagination. Hyman Babushkin, the octogenarian rabbi at the center of the novel, has devoted his life and considerable charisma to progressive Judaism and justice, particularly to centering women’s influence in the faith, which has led a good few of the flock around him to

Book Review

Kudos Kathy Puffer wins international awards for supporting small-scale biogas solutions Kathy Puffer of Tillson has been recognized at the AD and Biogas Industry Awards for bringing small-scalebiogas solutions to women and communities around the world. At the annual awards gala in Birmingham, UK, on March 29, Puffer won the Women in Biogas Award (Sponsored by Biogen), and her Biogas Education Hub was highly commended with second place in the Educational Campaign of the Year Award. The awards are run by the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association and the World Biogas Association. ADBA is the trade association for the UK anaerobic digestion and biogas industry, and the WBA is the global trade association for the biogas, landfill gas and anaerobic digestion sectors.

“Kathy goes the extra mile, proactively spreading the word about biogas, educating all around the world,” commented Chris Huhne, chairman of the ADBA. “The judges were hugely impressed by the work Kathy and Solar Cities are doing. The Biogas Education Hub works with communities all over the world to help small-scale biogas succeed and enables people to access AD and biogas technology from any background, culture, economy and climate. Kathy is really making a difference and making biogas happen!”

Puffer has been a dedicated biogas user since installing a home scale biodigester in 2014. Her family harvests the vegetables grown with the help of the liquid fertilizer, and they cook most of their stove-top meals with the methane produced. She recently upgraded to a HomeBiogas2 that she winterized and heats with hot air solar. Puffer believes that when learners feel em-

seek a more carnal connection, and Hyman’s muddled through, enjoying the experiences, trying gallantly to be the lover each woman seeks in him while pining for his sometime-wife, Elly, with whom he shares conservative roots and the social conscience that led him into all manner of Bush shenanigans. Elly, meanwhile, keeps Hyman at a wryly ironic distance, and Bush doesn’t blame her a bit. Nor does Hyman, really.

Now, at 83, Hyman is facing-up to the life he’s led, and quite a few people are annoyed with him to one degree or another, especially those who love him most. “It felt radical to even entertain the idea that what he did wasn’t Book cover necessarily abuse of power, but a form of serving,” says Bush. “I just wanted to leave that question open, and I don’t think the book draws any conclusions. It kind of depends on how much you like the guy. I think some people are going really dislike him, find him way too full of himself. Others, I think, will admire his creativity, his leadership. I left it open.”

The Hasidic community, Bush says, “should they happen to read it, won’t be happy. They get to play the bad guys, but here again, I don’t know anywhere near enough about the community to be trying to tell their actual story.

Just as there have been liberal Jewish leaders who’ve been other than monogamous, but very charismatic, there have been Hasidic sects that have gotten up to mischief with their internal power. But I have no idea whatsoever if the scheme I have them getting up to in the book is even remotely credible.”

The scheme he’s referring to is nefarious indeed, and Hyman—partly needing distraction from prostate surgery, annoyed followers, and Elly’s intransigence, and partly just because it’s who he is —goes into full on rainbow-yarmulke-wearing superhero mode to attempt to stop it and fails spectacularly.

powered from their own success, they can inspire their communities to get fired up about biogas and thus do their part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. She aims to build community resilience, while producing their own energy from food and animal residuals.

“When I first started teaching small-scale biogas and building digesters, I was one of only a handful of women doing the work in a field of mostly male engineers,” Puffer says. “I dedicated myself to meet women where they were (whether in the kitchen, garden, workshop or bathroom) to reclaim their food, waste and energy as a form of selfcare and Earth-care for themselves, their families, and communities.”

You can learn more about Puffer’s work and contact her at kathypuffer.com. Check out the “Succeed With SmallScale Biogas” course, which opens for enrollment twice each year, at biogaseducation.com. Enrollment for the 4th cohort opened April 19.

The book smoothly time-warps through the mid-20th century from the postwar era to the turbulent, vital ‘60s and onward, and Bush says it’s been thirteen years in the making, a synthesis of his four decades of creative work as a “professional Jew” in publishing, art and progressive political life with the concerns raised by the #metoo wave that broke just after his retirement.

“Even though I’m dealing with some very serious subjects, the book came out as a comedy of manners,” Bush observes. “Over the course of many years, what kept me going was the 1961 chapter and the 1968 chapter, both of which I felt really rang true to the era. I wanted to finish the book just to get those out there.”

There’s a joyous wholehearted abandon to the group Hyman leads, Encounter Judaism: their guerilla tactics are genuine efforts to collaborate with God. “I feel like the era of Jews being predictably progressive, Democratic and anti-racist has been undergoing a shift for a generation now,” says Bush. “We’re becoming white people like everyone else -- there’s the connection of the military-industrial complex and hardline Christianity to Israel.

There’s this centering of Israel in the conversation. I mean, everyone in the community used to have a socialist uncle or aunt or grandma somewhere in the family, and that’s faded. It’s not a fast process, it won’t be completed before I die, but it’s a process. Meanwhile, there is still a strong liberal strain in the community, but it doesn’t have the platform of the Israel lobby, and that’s what I try to cultivate. It’s an interesting time to be alive, and an interesting time to be Jewish.”

Even back in the ‘60s, Bush points out, there were more Young Republicans groups than SDS chapters. “I think we were in a bubble and had an undue sense of our own influence,” he says. “There’s always been the counter revolution going on simultaneously.”

Support the real revolution by going to babushkinsplayhouse.com, where you can find it for cheaper than you’ll find it on Amazon (with free shipping!) and will have a far more interesting experience overall.

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Page 18

Arts, culture & entertainment

April 21, 2023

Every leaf, every flower, every chore all at once Last Monday, I was squinting at the firewood pile, wondering if it would last ’til the end of the season. By Friday, I was scrambling in a clothes storage bin for shorts.

Overnight it had become summer. And with it came so much chaos.

We were already well behind the springtime eight ball here, still trying to fix damage from the season that had ended just a few minutes before.

Winter’s last spiteful snowfall felled the apple tree in the chicken pen, the one whose branches helped shield the flock from ruthless winged murderers. The tree crushed part of the fence and dropped the web of string and wire we’d added for extra security.

The branch/string mess hung so low I had to Groucho-walk to tend the flock, but we couldn’t cut it away until we came up with a repair plan.

Have you ever seen a Chinese finger trap? It’s a simple but ingenious toy, because the harder you pull on it, the stucker your fingers stay. That’s what thinking about fixing the chicken pen felt like. We couldn’t cut the tree down without exposing the flock to hawks. We couldn’t fix the fence without cutting the tree down. And whatever we did, we couldn’t keep the chickens safe without first putting them in big danger. It was catch 22, 23 and 24, and the only way through it seemed to be slowly and thoughtfully.

But then the thermostat jumped to hot and everything got

Susan Krawitz

even harder.

The natural world was turbo-boosted. Songbirds arrived in mobs, and the gentle, gorgeous suspense of time-release flower unfurling was replaced by everything everywhere all at once, including spring chores.

The seckel pear tree bloomed two weeks early, and quite a bloom it was, because I hadn’t yet pruned it. Or done most of the early spring yard tasks. Like cutting the Concord grape vine out of the apple tree branches. Fixing the groundhog hole in the vegetable garden fence. Trimming back the roses and berries. And finding my garden gloves. The long-handled loppers. Tick tubes. Sunscreen.

Because we were working on the chicken pen, the chicken pen, the chicken pen. Every single part of fixing it was absolutely hard. A full-on poultry aviary seemed to be the only solution, so there was some kind of wire mesh roofing system to create. And cedars pulled from the woods to support it. A new gate to replace the crushed one. And a plan to try and save the healthy, graftable stump of the tree.

The last thing I wanted to do was keep the chickens locked up in such balmy weather. But an angry live chicken is far happier than a un-cooped dead one, so ultimately, that’s what I had to do. It allowed us to spend long sweaty hours digging, sawing, cutting and wiring.

Meanwhile, the grass get longer, the vines vinier, and all things spring kept surging violently forth.

By 90-degree-day-two, the newly budded paperwhite blooms had turned into paper, and what little that was left of the crocuses looked like tiny air-fried socks. But the wire roof was almost finished, and soon, we’d be able to

let the chickens out again. And I could finally move my muscle-sore self to the next slate of tasks.

On the third sweltering morning, I sat in a porch rocker to have a quick cup of coffee before jumping back to the fray. I was just two sips in when a bee began to buzz my cup. I waved it away. It came back. I chased it off again. It started buzzing laps around me.

There was honey in the coffee. Maybe some had dripped onto the cup. But still, the creature was being freakishly persistent.

And then I heard birdsong. It was the call of a cardinal.

No, it was the mating call of a chickadee. Which became the scream of a hawk. And then the song of a chipping sparrow. I looked in the direction of the concert and a grey bird flew off, showing a flash of white on both wings.

A mockingbird? The last time I’d seen one in the yard, I was painting a set of wooden steps that were now rotted to dust. Catbirds had moved in and chased them off. Catbirds also mimic, but their skill is nowhere near a mockingbird’s brilliance.

It started singing again and I couldn’t help myself. I settled back in the chair to listen.

The bee landed on the rim of my coffee cup. It was just a little insect. It was just doing insect things. It wasn’t there to distract me long enough to notice that mockingbird. Or help me realize that even if life is damn buzzy, what we’re all really here to do is not forget to just bee. Or help me remember that when you’re in a Chinese finger trap, relaxing, not fighting fiercely, is the only way to get your fingers (and the rest of you) out of its persuasive, compelling, downright paralyzing grip.

Spring thing One of the bad things about living in a small town is that everyone knows your business. Wait, let me rephrase that … Everyone thinks they know your business. Nine times out of 10, they aren’t even close. It’s that 10th time that is a good thing.

One of the good things about living in small towns is that everyone knowing your business means they know when you need help. But if the small town folk are a colossal fail at the proverbial “telephone game” they are known for, and get everything so completely wrong that it’s laughable, locals will always help if you ask for it. To paraphrase Dumbledore: “Help will always be given around town to those who ask for it.” My Around town friend asked for help, and Santa Fe Burger Bar stepped up to the plate. Oh, wrong sport, hold on.

Santa Fe Burger Bar dove into the deep end to hold a fundraiser for the Rosendale Rapids Swim Team.

So, I took a stroll down Main Street on my way to support young athletes of all ages that live around town. I met a few friends and their boys to partake in dinner, drinks and diabetic nightmare milkshakes that no athlete should ever want or have. These things are insane. I am built to mentally carb-count every food or drink I see. That’s the life of a diabetic. I don’t just look at food but I look at food and do math. I hate math. Anyway, I concluded that one of these would exceed an entire day of carbs for a typical adult. Kids don’t care, though. They were just excited that someone created a special milkshake named after their team. I can’t blame them. I would have been excited, too.

In fact, I’d be excited right now if there were a cocktail named after me (*wink wink nudge nudge, Santa Fe Burger Bar*). Anyway, they did have a special menu for the fundraiser. Shout out to them for going above and beyond for a cause.

While visions of milkshakes danced in the boys’ heads, they went outside to play. Or whatever it is that boys do instead of sitting and waiting for the food to arrive. While they were gone, my friend was talking about how her son does not like vegetables and that she always has to trick him into eating them. Since he ordered one of those milkshakes, she decided it would be funny to order spicy

Kelly Wright

Rosendale Rapids shakes it up.

Buffalo cauliflower and tell him it was boneless chicken wings. Then she said that for April Fool’s Day she asked the Kingston Candy Bar to create cake pops that were, in fact, not cake but Brussels sprouts. I immediately started laughing because of this poor kid. I could only imagine it would be like biting into a chocolate chip cookie and realizing it’s oatmeal raisin. Sheer disappointment was on the horizon.

It’s so funny how we teach our kids not to lie, and then we lie to them. All the time. About Santa, about where babies come from, about cauliflower, and cake pops.

These thoughts were banging around in my head like a pinball machine when the boys returned. My first thought was, “Why are boys so sweaty and dirty?” I said a quiet thank-you for having a daughter. Please don’t get me wrong. I love boys. (haha) I wanted a son, thought my daughter was a son when I was pregnant, and now am so excited she’s getting married so I will have a son. But they are sweaty and dirty. A lot. Anyway, I snapped back to reality as my friend’s son immediately grabbed a cauliflower and popped it into his mouth. Before they came back, my friend did a great job of eating the pieces that actually looked like cauliflower, so he didn’t have a clue.

She might have gotten away with the ruse if it weren’t for her giggling. Plus, the rest of us were staring at him with guilt written all over our faces. Which reminds me to always or never play poker with this group. The funniest

part of the cauliflower caper was he just shrugged when she told him it wasn’t chicken. So, I guess if you’re trying to trick your kids into eating veggies, Buffalo sauce is the way to go. You’re welcome. Needless to say, the fundraiser was a great time and a success. It’s funny how I grew up in a town with a pool and now live in the only other town with a pool. I’ve never been to this one, though. Everyone thinks Stone Ridge is so froufrou, but Kerhonkson and Rosendale have pools. Although, Stone Ridge does have an amazing town park so I’d say they are still the fancy town.

Before I go, does anyone else wonder why a spring 30 degrees differs from a winter 30 degrees? In the winter, I wouldn’t dare go outside with a light sweater or jacket. I would be in full-blown Yeti garb. But, in the spring, I’m walking around like those people who insist on wearing shorts year-’round. Is it a spring thing or is there really some scientific explanation as to why we’re all crazy?

Does anyone else think this is weird? Happy spring, everyone.

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BlueStone Press, April 21, 2023 , Page 19

Eating on-the-go down 209 The business model of a drive-thru (only) deli is sort of genius so long as orders are managed quickly and the food is good. Kerhonkson’s Drive-Thru Deli nails both of these aspects and gives the community a really interesting, and ultra-convenient, option for breakfast lunch and dinner every day except Sunday, when they are closed.

Their early hours (7 a.m.) can work well for the commuters and workers needing to start and end the day (last orders are taken at 7:45 p.m.) without having to carve too much into limited available time.

Breakfast options include two eggs on a roll with generous portions of bacon, ham or Wally Nichols sausage. The Monster, for those wanting to start their day with a little more in the tank) is three eggs, hash browns (bacon or sausage) and French fry “styx” (possibly named as an homage to the classic rock musical legends that many moms and dads still listen to daily, myself included?).

There are assorted muffins and Danishes, and of course coffee, tea, iced tea, water, hot chocolate, vitamin water

Put a fork in it

Horoscopes We're beginning to experience a minor change in the formation of the planets – there were several months when none were retrograde. On the 21st of April Mercury will turn retrograde for its usual three-week period.

Remember, this is the time when mail is lost or delayed, appointments forgotten, and any major purchase should be delayed. In addition, Mercury is positioned in the 2nd solar house of money, making it important to check financial status carefully during this time. The new Moon on the 20th is bursting with energy, while the full Moon on May 5 falls in Scorpio and has you feeling restless – looking for even a small change in circumstances.

Your Zodiac Joanne Ferdman

ARIES: 3/21 to 4/19: Mars, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 4th solar house of home and family. With Uranus in the 2nd solar house conjunct Mercury retrograde, there is a strong possibility you may be dealing with unexpected expenses. Therefore, be sure to have a backup plan that will have you covered for whatever happens.

TAURUS: 4/20 to 5/20: Venus, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 2nd solar house of money, suggesting your financial picture has taken a positive turn. While Mercury has turned retrograde in your 1st solar house, it is conjunct Uranus, creating a positive new offer that may also contain the prospect of moving to a new location.

GEMINI: 5/21 to 6/20: Mercury, your ruling planet is conjunct Uranus in your 12th solar house that is hidden behind the scenes. Events that affect you directly are happening off stage. However, with Venus in the 1st solar house, you may be blissfully unaware of their impact.

Slow down and let them surface before taking any significant action.

Drive-Thru Deli Style: drive-through Location: 6122 Route 209, Kerhonkson Contact: 845-626-1413

and assorted juices.

There is a robust selection of sandwiches, all customizable but pulling from the classic and favorite options,

CANCER: 6/21 to 7/20: The Moon child deals with the new Moon on the 20th in the sign of Taurus with the realization that more money is needed to balance the budget.

The full Moon in the sign of Scorpio finds money in the form of a small inheritance that covers your shortage.

Mars rules the day in your 1st solar house as you show everyone the way, you lead the parade.

LEO: 7/21 to 8/22: The Sun, your ruling planet, is positioned at the midheaven conjunct Mercury retrograde and Uranus. Many things seem to be happening at once that have you confused. Errors are being made and confirmed – just as they are shown to be false. Fortunately, the checkbook is balanced right on time.

VIRGO: 8/23 to 9/22: Mercury, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 9th solar house conjunct both the Sun and Uranus. However, with Mercury retrograde, this promises to be a difficult time for you. Usually, you are quite verbal, but words will become difficult to bring forth. Fortunately, Venus in the 10th house of career will enable some sense of normality.

LIBRA: 9/23 to 10/22: Venus, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 9th solar house of information and education. Mars is positioned in your 10th solar house of career, an ideal position to receive kudos for your recent work. This is also a good time to socialize more than recently to broaden your horizons and get a new perspective.

SCORPIO: 10/23 to 11/22: Your two rulers, Mars and Pluto, continue to form the bookends of the planets as they appear in the sky. Now we add the retrograde motion of Mercury, which adds confusion to your outlook. Jupiter in your house of daily work normally brings good news, but presently may indicate a bit of confusion regarding finances.

SAGITTARIUS: 11/23 to 12/21: Jupiter, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 5th solar house of children and creativity. Now that you have created the ideal prod-

which include turkey, ham, roast beef, corned beef, tuna, egg salad and grilled cheese. Foot-long specialty sandwiches are also available, like the Philly cheesesteak, the Rueben, breaded chicken breast, tuna melt, meatball parm, eggplant parm, and sausage and pepper.

The burgers are huge and exceptional. There is also a veggie burger option. Side orders include French fries, nachos, cup of mac and cheese, garlic knots and onion rings (to name a few).

Consider the pizza offerings as well (slices and whole pies), which can be customized: buffalo chicken, Hawaiian, white, veggie, steak, bacon.

There are daily specials. Friday, for example, offers a large pizza, six knots, and a 2-liter soda for $19.50.

And for the kids (both small and big kids!) there are soft-serve ice cream cones, milkshakes and sundaes.

So, for comfort food so comfortable you don’t even have to get out of your car, hit up the Drive-Thru Deli on the flat stretch between Kerhonkson and Accord, just south of the Little League baseball field. And for nice days, and kind weather, there is outdoor picnic-table-style seating.

Tasty, convenient, easy. What’s not to love?

Stop by and grab a menu with the QRC code for menu and ordering ahead options.

uct, the time has come to take it to market. With Mercury retrograde, it's necessary to test several different ideas before choosing THE ONE. This is the ideal situation for the "greatest salesperson."

CAPRICORN: 12/22 to 1/20: Saturn, your ruling planet, is in your 3rd solar house of education and communication. Mercury retrograde is presently in your 5th solar house of creativity, suggesting you've had several false starts on the way to your present goal. Stay with your goal – you're sure to work through it. You're always able to persevere!!!

AQUARIUS: 1/21 to 2/19: Uranus, your ruling planet, remains positioned in your 4th solar house and continues its emphasis on home and family. Presently, your ruler is conjunct Mercury retrograde, adding some complications. You can almost expect minor mishaps to affect family members: losing keys or packages. Just be patient – this will pass.

PISCES: 2/20 to 3/20: Neptune, your ruling planet, continues positioned in the closing degrees of your 1st solar house of personality! Your talent and ability to offer consolation and help to others is certainly at a peak, but finances have slowed. Could Mercury retrograde have caused this? Surely! But stay with the project – it will pass.

Joanne can be reached at 561-744-9962. She is available for private telephone consultations if you want more information relating to your personal chart. Treat yourself, and you will learn what to expect from the current transits and receive an overview of long-term goals. Remember to read both your Sun sign and your Ascendant.

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FOR THE FAMILY An exploration of print and paper at Women’s Studio Workshop Join the community at Women's Studio Workshop, 722 Binnewater Lane, Rosendale, 2-4 p.m. Saturday, April 22, for the opening of “An Exploration of Print and Paper.” This exhibition features artworks by students from Ernest C. Myer Elementary School and M. Clifford Miller Middle School created at Women's Studio Workshop. Visit wsworkshop.org or call 845-658-9133 for more information.

Spring Explorations at the Ashokan Center presents Birds & Blooms Join the group hike to explore trails while looking for spring ephemerals and buds around Ashokan, 10 a.m. Sunday, April 30, at the Ashokan Center, 477 Beaverkill Road, Olivebridge. Wildlife such as bees and migratory birds seek out early blooming plants that help to provide essential nourishment after the winter. In addition to encountering important pollinator plants along the trails, participants will learn about plants that they can try growing to support wildlife in their own backyards. There is a suggested fee of $20; kids under 12 years old are free. For more information, visit ashokancenter. org or call 845-657-8333.

Little Ones Learning Center adds and expands programming A free early literacy program, Little Ones Learning Center, located at Rochester Reformed Church, 5142 Route 209, Accord, recently added a day to their program and rented a second room in the church.

Their Story Times are currently 10 a.m.noon Wednesdays (April 26 and May 3) and Saturdays (April 22 and 29) and 3-5 p.m. Thursdays (April 27 and May 4). The program, which includes stories, crafts, socialization and free time to explore the many early learning activities available, is geared toward children 0-6, but all are welcome. Parents/caregivers are required to stay with the children. For more information call 845-750-4112 or email LOLC12404@gmail.com.

Rosendale Seniors monthly meetings The Town of Rosendale Seniors meetings are held at the Rosendale Recreation Center, 1055 Route 32, Rosendale, twice a month, excluding November and December, at 1 p.m. every second Wednesday (May 10), for a social meeting and on the fourth Wednesday (April 26), at 10:30 a.m. for the executive board meeting, and 1 p.m. for the business meeting. The guest speakers will be two ladies from the Red Cross discussing safety tips and resources available. The Rosendale Seniors’ first trip of the year on May 4, hosted by their very own tour guides, Hal Sampson and Chicky Sterritt, is to the Riverview Inn for a show featuring comedian JoJo Russell in “ Back for More.” The Seniors will also sponsor an overnight tour to Branson, Missouri, courtesy of Diamond Tours, Sept. 16-24, nine days and eight nights.

The tour, departing 8 a.m. from the Rec Center, consists of motorcoach transportation with eight nights lodging including four consecutive nights in the Branson area, 14 meals of eight breakfasts and six dinners, and admission to three morning shows (Dublin’s Irish Tenors and special guests; the Celtic Ladies, Doug Gabriel Morning Show; and a Neil Diamond tribute) and three evening shows (The Haygoods Show; Presley’s Country Jubilee; and Queen Esther, at the Sight and Sound Theater). Cost is $1,029/pp double occupancy. Call Chickie at 845-658-2414 or Hal at 845-658-9020 for more information. For videos and group pictures, visit grouptrips.com/chicky.

Rondout Valley Lions Club New members, men and women of all ages, are wanted and encouraged to join the Rondout Valley Lions Club, serving the towns of Marbletown, Rochester and Rosendale since Oct. 18, 1950. During this time, they have helped those in need, whether it is for sight, hearing, medical emergencies or any worthwhile cause. “We serve” is their motto, and this is what they do. The Lions meet at 5 p.m. on the second Wednesday (May 10), and at noon on the fourth Thursday of every month (April 27) in the conference room of the Rondout Municipal Center, 1925 Lucas Turnpike, Cottekill. For more information on being included in the club’s next meeting, contact Sue Curcio, president, at otrlsc@gmail.com or Janet Sutter, treasurer, at janet.sutter@aol.com.

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Members of the SUNY Ulster College Chorus directed by Janet Gehres and SUNY Ulster College-Community Band directed by Victor Izzo

Concerts at SUNY Ulster SUNY Ulster will hold its second and third ensemble concerts of the spring semester at 7:30 p.m. on two Wednesdays, April 26 and May 3, in the Quimby Theater of Vanderlyn Hall, at SUNY Ulster, 491 Cottekill Road, Stone Ridge. Both concerts are free and open to the public.

The April 26 concert will feature the SUNY Ulster College-Community Band directed by Victor Izzo. Dr. Adam Fontana, director of ensembles at SUNY New Paltz, will be the guest conductor and will direct “La Fiesta Mexicana” by H. Owen Reed.

Additional selections to be presented include “Conga del Fuego Nueva”

by Arturo Marquez; Symphonic Dance No. 3, Clifton Williams; San Antonio Dances, Frank Techeli; and “La Mezquita de Córdoba,” Julie Giroux.

“La Fiesta Mexicana” was composed in 1954 and established a framework for many concert band

Hudson Valley ICEbergs adaptive hockey program The Hudson Valley ICEbergs, an ASHA approved adaptive hockey organization invite local players to their program, 10:30 a.m. and noon, Sundays, April 30, May 14 and 21, at the Kiwanis Ice Arena in Saugerties. The ICEbergs is a new all-inclusive adaptive hockey team that provides an environment where youngsters 5 years old and up can play hockey regardless of skill level, physical disability, and developmental or behavioral challenges. The growing organization, which invites and includes local players, is a nonprofit organization and a member of the American Special Hockey Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving those with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities through the sport of hockey.

The goal is to share the joy of playing a sport and being a member of the team.

The organization helps players develop skating and hockey skills taking into consideration individual needs, establish-

compositions using Hispanic musical influences. Although each of the other pieces are unique in their melodic themes, there is a thread commonality that formed the basis for this program.

In their May 3 concert, the SUNY Ulster College Chorus directed by Janet Gehres and accompanied by Edward Leavitt will feature a diverse choral program of music from the Renaissance, Zambia, vocal jazz, operetta, and 21st century America. Also performing is the African Drumming Ensemble directed by Paul Chambers. The concert will be played using traditional African instruments. In addition, the event will feature performances by the Spring Honors Recital Winners and the SUNY Ulster Jazz Combo Alumni Band.

For more information, contact Janet Gehres at gehresj@sunyulster. edu.

ing confidence, making friends, playing games, having fun, and more simply, learning to get up again after falling down, realizing that underneath the surface lies a superhero within everyone. For more information, visit specialhockey.org, email carmela.m.dewitt@ gmail.com, or check out Hudson Valley ICEbergs on Facebook.

Homeschoolers Time Traveler’s Hike and Brochure Making Contest, preregistration required Before Minnewaska became a Park Preserve, it was home to a luxurious resort, complete with two hotels on scenic vistas, plenty of recreational activities, and a chance to “renew the soul” within the world of natural beauty. In this program, 1-3 p.m.

Thursday, May 4, homeschoolers will take a deep dive into this rich history by examining resources in the Nature Center, including reprinted copies of promotional brochures from over a hundred years ago! The group will then take a hike around the Lake Minnewaska Car-

riage Road, stopping to examine various spots that inspired the brochure covers, and discussing ecological differences between then and now. Participants will get a chance to make their very own brochure cover based on their favorite aspect of the Park Preserve. This program is recommended for homeschooled children aged 7-12 years old, accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 18. Well-behaved younger siblings are always welcome. Preregistration is required by calling Minnewaska at 845255-0752.

Marbletown Seniors meetings and next two group trips Open to all those over 55, whether living in Marbletown or not.

The Seniors hold their meetings at the Marbletown Community Center, 3564 Main St., across from Key Bank in Stone Ridge, at noon on the first Friday, May 5 (bring a dish to share or drop $3 in the basket on the food table), and at 1 p.m. on the third Friday, May 19 (bring a dessert to share or drop $2 in the basket on the dessert table), each month. For more information, call Donna Lamerson at 845-750-8616. The next group trip will be to Silver Birches, Hawley, Pennsylvania, to see “Flying Ivories” music/ comedy show on Wednesday, May 3, with the bus departing from the Marbletown Reformed Church, 3750 Route 209, Stone Ridge. The cost for the show includes lunch of roast turkey and stuffing, top round beef, and penne pesto pasta with an open bar, beer, wine and soda from noon-3 p.m. for $55 each. For more information and trip reservations, call Sharon Letus, at 845-687-9162.

Garden Tea, Plant, Craft and Homemade Goods Sale This event will be held, rain or shine, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at Rondout Valley United Methodist Church, 25 Schoonmaker Lane, Stone Ridge. Come by, sit, and enjoy freshly brewed tea, homemade cookies, scones and tea sandwiches in a garden setting.

Enjoy the sale that includes garden and house plants, crafts, homemade goods, and the all-time favorite, tea-party to-go.

For more information and available vendor tables, call Elaine at 845-687-9061.

ARTS, MUSIC, BODY & MIND Garden Day in Stone Ridge on Saturday The much-anticipated "Garden Day," presented by the Master Gardener Volunteers of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ulster County, will be held 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, April 22, at SUNY Ulster, 491 Cottekill Road, Stone Ridge. This year's theme is “Garden Solutions for a Green Planet." The cost for the entire day is $60 at the door, cash or check only, plus $10 for an optional box lunch. As always, local vendors will be on site to offer plants and garden-related wares; free soil testing will be offered, so bring some soil, and a "growing" enthusiasm. Visit https://ulster.cce.cornell.edu/gardenday23 to see the full agenda to enroll and for info.

Tap workshops with Brenda Bufalino Brenda Bufalino, international performer and tap dance master, will teach an eight-week tap workshop for advanced beginner-intermediate levels, noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesdays, April 26-May 17, at the Rosendale Theater, 408 Main St., Rosendale. Classes are $25 per class or $90 for the series. For more information and to register, email brendabufalino@yahoo. com, visit rosendaletheatre.org, or call

See More events, page 21

BlueStone Press, April 21, 2023 , Page 21

Annual High Falls Food Co-op meeting and party at D&H Canal Museum

Events continued from page 20 845-658-8989. And check out brendabufalino.com.

Saturday Creature Features present ‘Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein’ (1948) It’s an all-out monster rally as Bud and Lou tangle with the Frankenstein Monster, Dracula and the Wolf Man in one of the great centerpieces from the golden age of classic monsters! Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) needs a brain to put into the Frankenstein Monster (Glenn Strange) and has chosen Lou as his unwilling donor. The Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.) jumps into the action, seeking to destroy Count Dracula and end his evil scheme! “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” is a masterstroke in horror/comedy that instantly became one of the comedy duo’s best-loved films and has been entertaining audiences for 75 years. See this classic, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 22, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale. Admission is $10/$6 members and those in costume. For more information, visit rosendaletheatre.org.

Fasoldt and Wiedenbaum among local artists featured in ‘Avian Art’ group show “Avian Art,” the new group show, at the Mark Gruber Gallery in New Paltz, runs through May 6. The exhibit features both many local, regional plus nationally renowned, award-winning artists known for their images of birds. The “light as a feather” touch of Sue Adair’s mixed media works and Carolyn Edlund’s oils complement the “eagle eye” precision of Sherrie York’s linocut prints and Marlene Wiedenbaum of High Falls’ pastels. Take a “bird’s eye view” of life through the graphite drawings of Jamie Cassaboon and photos by Hardie Truesdale; images of birds soar through the watercolors

by Mike DiGiorgio, Barry Van Dusen and Rosendale’s Staats Fasoldt and oils by Sean Murtha, Leslie Peck, Sue Barrasi, James Coe and James Cramer. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, and by appointment on Sundays and Monday.

For information, contact Gruber at 845255-1241 or markgrubergallery.com.

The joy of Eden Energy Medicine, empowering with self-care, with Cristina Bornstein, RSVP ASAP for this empowering workshop, 2-5 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at the Marbletown Community Center, 3564 Main St., Stone Ridge, with certified Eden Energy Medicine practitioner, Reiki master, visualization, self-care guide, author, and Rifton resident Cristina Bornstein. Learn how to increase sense of joy, inspiration and wellness; boost immune system and mental focus The group will begin with some gentle movement to awaken the body, mind and soul. Then move on to guided meditation, then to Eden Energy Medicine. Though there is no charge for the workshop, sacred reciprocity by donating, by offering volunteer service or by doing an act of loving kindness toward someone in need.

For more information and registration, visit holistichealthcommunity.org or call 845-867-7008.

Mohonk Preserve volunteer orientation/training New volunteers are welcome and needed in all activities at Mohonk Preserve, with the next group orientation/training, Trailhead Ambassadors, held via Zoom, 9-10:30 a.m.

Saturday, April 22. Check the website at mohonkpreserve.org/volunteer for the description and requirements for all volunteer activities and a link to register online. For more information or to get

See More events, page 22

Betty is Elizabeth Ziff, Alyson Palmer and Amy Ziff.

Betty for HOPE, a benefit concert for United Way of UC’s Raising Hope mentoring program Indie pop trio Betty will be at the Rosendale Theater, 408 Main St., Rosendale, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 29, to benefit United Way of Ulster County’s Raising HOPE mentoring program.

Betty has been featured on national and international radio, television – including their iconic theme song for “The L Word” – and in films, commercials, jingles, web and streaming projects and con-

Earth Week Peace With Nature Forum presented

by Mohonk Consultations Later Moto, 1990, Barn Yard sculpture by Bradford Graves

In its 12th season, Bradford Graves Sculpture Park Bradford Graves (1939-1998), “the limestone cowboy,” was the “most naturally stoned” person. He worked primarily in limestone and possessed a deep and unyielding fascination with archeology and all things of the earth. His sculpture is complex and rich with meaning, simultaneously ancient and modern, raw and sophisticated, solid and luminous.

Bradford Graves Sculpture Park is open May-November, at 28 Doggums Way, Kerhonkson. Visitors can spend quiet

Celebrate Jazz Day

From shoots to roots Arborculture at it’s finest

Gavin Kiersted Certified Arborist

845.901.9579 • gkiersted@yahoo.com

cert venues. Local trio, Still, Shaken and Stirred will open for Betty. Still, Shaken and Stirred is trio Carole White, Fre Atlast and Caru Thompson serving up Woodstock Roots music with a twist. Covers and originals with spicy percussion riffs, from Van Morrison to Macey Gray, from bluesy to World Beat with an occasional ballad in between.

Raising HOPE was created in 2007 to help women achieve educational, entrepreneurial and career goals in order to become financially stable and self-sufficient. Raising HOPE (Help, Opportunity, Passion, Empowerment) is a women’s mentoring program created by United Way to help women develop and achieve educational and career goals. Admission is $25.

For more information, visit rosendaletheatre.org or call 845-658-8989.

All are invited to the High Falls Food Coop Annual Meeting for members. Join in and celebrate Earth Day, Co-op style. Not a member? Non-members are welcome, too. Come learn about the High Falls Food Co-op. This important annual event is also a fun social opportunity with soup, snacks, wine and beer. Additional special events planned include a science activity for kids, an insider D&H Canal Museum tour with High Falls historian Bill Merchant, a visit from County Executive Jen Metzger, a chance to meet the Co-op board and board candidates, an Earth Day bingo game, a free raffle, live music, survey news, voting for members, community, friendship and fun. The event will be held 4-6 p.m. Saturday, April 22, at the D&H Canal Museum, 1315 Route 213, High Falls.

High Falls Food Co-op is the one and only open-for-business food co-op in Ulster County, located on the corner of Route 213 and Lucas Turnpike. It is a member-owned grocery store, open to all shoppers, while offering special benefits (such as discounts and voting rights) to customers who purchase a member-ownership share. Food co-ops offer access to local, ethically and organically grown produce and other products that might not be available at regular grocery stores.

The Co-op has been serving the public since 1976, one of the oldest food cooperatives in the country. For more information, visit highfallsfoodcoop.com or call 845-687-7762.

The Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale will join thousands of independent artists and organizers on all seven continents, presenting an astonishing array of performances for International Jazz Day, the world’s largest celebration of Jazz, the universal language.

This is a double-header event featuring a documentary film and live music!

At 3 p.m. Sunday, April 30, the Rosen-

and leisurely time viewing more than 100 sculptures on display on 5 lovely acres.

The outdoor pieces in the Mirror Pavilion feature 15 of Graves’ sculpture from the series “This Mirror Can Crack a Stone.”

There are smaller pieces in both clay and bronze on display in a separate gallery.

Drawings and prints, and his extensive personal library, are available for viewing upon special request.

The sculpture park for Bradford Graves is a special project of Soundscape Presents Inc., a not-for-profit corporation. It is the second largest display of outdoor sculpture in New York (after Storm King). Admission is free and by appointment only.

Email bradfordgravessculpturepark@ gmail.com, call 845-626-4038, or visit bradfordgravessculpturepark.com. dale Theatre Collective will pay tribute to the late jazz legend Wayne Shorter with a screening of “Wayne Shorter, the Language of the Unknown.” Then, after a brief intermission, at 4:15 p.m., experience the live music of the Robert Kopec Quartet featuring Kopec on bass; Eric Person, sax and reeds; Mark Dziuba, guitar; and Bob Meyer, drums. Enjoy NYS Craft beer, wine and cider, available in Uncle Tony’s Tavern. Tickets are $15/$12 members.

For more information, visit rosendaletheatre.org or call 845-658-8989.

Mohonk Consultations will host its annual Peace With Nature forum, 3 p.m.

Sunday, April 23, in the parlor at Mohonk Mountain House, 1000 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz. “Words Matter, Indigenous, Ecological and Legal Pathways for Healing Earth” will feature a dialogue with Tiokasin Ghosthorse, a member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation of South Dakota and founder, host and executive producer of “First Voices Radio,” and Nicholas A. Robinson, Kerlin Professor of EnviGhosthorse ronmental Law Emeritus, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in White Plains. Two deeply thoughtful people, representing two different cultures and languages, will share their lifelong efforts to illuminate and reconcile the relationship of people and nature. The conversation will reveal how intelligence drawn from Indigenous culture and grassroots legal campaigns are working together to reestablish a sustainable relationship with Earth. Audience members will have opportunities for Q&A and will be encouraged to participate in roundtable discussions, brainstorming, and the expression of concerns, questions and feedback.

Admission is $30 for the general public and $15 for students. Tickets are available online and must be purchased in advance at mohonk-consultations.org/ wordsmatter.

Page 22, April 21, 2023 , BlueStone Press Events continued from page 29 involved but not available to attend a scheduled orientation/training, contact Andy Reynolds, volunteer programs manager, at volunteers@mohonkpreserve.org or 845-255-0919, ext. 1269.

Earth Day Volunteer Litter Pickup and Invasive Plant Pull Join Student Conservation Association/AmeriCorps members Josh Grosse and Sophia Atkinson, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 22, for a chance to make a positive impact at Minnewaska State Park Preserve this Earth Day. On Earth Day, take time to appreciate the wonderful natural world and learn how to protect it. This year, the group will be doing litter pickup all around the Park Preserve, and an invasive species pull near Lake Minnewaska beach. Bring a passion for conservation, and all the necessary materials for each project will be provided. Those who feel more comfortable bringing their own gardening gloves for the pull are more than welcome to do so. There will be a good deal of bending and leaning over for the invasive species pull, so those looking to participate should keep this in mind. There is no commitment to a particular amount of time doing either activity, but those who complete a certain amount will be given a fun sticker. This program is good for people of all ages!

Come to Minnewaska to make a difference, give back to this beautiful planet, and have a good time doing it. Meet at the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center, 5281 Route 44/55, Kerhonkson. For more information, call 845-255-0752.

Rondout Valley Repair Cafe This free community event will be held, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 22, at the Rondout Municipal Center, 1921 Lucas Turnpike, Cottekill. Bring a broken but beloved item, and together with volunteer repair coaches, it will be fixed! People bring all kinds of things to a repair café – clocks and other mechanical items; chairs, frames and other wooden items; electrical items and small appliances; digital devices; clothing and textiles; dolls, stuffed animals and toys, tools in need of sharpening; jewelry and watches; and so much more! Most items get fixed, and even when they don’t, all have a good time trying! For info, contact suziefromer@gmail.com or repaircafehv.org.

Live Music at Lydia’s Café Enjoy live music 7-10 p.m. Saturday nights at Lydia’s Café, 7 Old Route 209, Stone Ridge.

Upcoming performances include Jimmy Madison & Friends on April 22, with Madison on drums, Tim Regusis, keys, and Tarik Shah on bass; and on April 29, Dzubia, Anderson, Seigel and Syracuse, three-fourths of the Professors performing jazz, blues and original works with Kate Anderson on saxophone. There is a suggested donation of $20. Artwork

by Fran Sutherland is on display, with proceeds from sales going to Doctors Without Borders Ukraine. For more information, call 845-687-6373 or visit lydias-cafe.com.

Virtual Holistic Healthcare Week online Zoom video and telephone sessions Holistic Health Community of Stone Ridge will offer its Virtual Holistic Healthcare Week, Monday-Friday, April 24-28, via Zoom. Practitioners offering their services include Amber Adams, spiritual counseling and or Yogic Embodiment Techniques; AnnMarie Tedeschi, herbal health consultation; Cornelia Wathen, Emotion Code; Donna Nisha Cohen, spiritual counseling; George Jacobs, PsychoSpiritual counseling and coaching; Joanna Leffeld, “Healing Your Money Story”; Karin Reynolds, life coaching; Katie Todd, “The Flow of Grace;” Kris Journey, astrology consultations; Lightfield session; Nancy Plumer, One Light Healing Touch; Rob Norris, reconnective healing; Suzanne Bottigliero, chakra clearings; Vicki Kramer Nathan, resilience and wellness coaching; and Wendy Wolosoff-Hayes, Spacious Heart guidance. All sessions must be booked online.

Patients should make an appointment for one session only so the maximum number of people may benefit. To make an appointment, go to http://hhcny. simplybook.me. Once the appointment is made, all information will be sent to the practitioner, and then they will contact each patient. Visit holistichealthcommunity.org or call 845-867-7008 to donate.

Low Lily releases new album, celebrates with concert at the Ashokan Center With the release of their new album, “Angels in the Wreckage,” the New England-based American Roots band Low Lily tours as a five-piece with drums and bass for the first time ever. The concert will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 27, at the Ashokan Center, 47 Beaverkill Road, Olivebridge.

The show features Hazel Royer on double bass and Stefan Amidon (of the Sweetback Sisters) on drums.This performance brings the energy of fiddle music, the introspective quality of contemporary folk, the precision of bluegrass, the drive of Americana, and combines all these elements into one soundscape.

In 2018, the band released a full-length album with award-winning title track “10,000 Days Like These" and their original song “Hope Lingers On,” which has been sung by choirs around the world as an anthem for peace and justice. Since then they have released a handful of singles, but their second full-length album was delayed due to the pandemic, so they are thrilled to finally announce its release.

Low Lily’s core founding members are married couple Liz Simmons and Flynn

‘My life in music’ Garry Kvistad with guest artist Timothy Hill, a talk and performance on April 21 New England-based American Roots band Low Lily

Cohen, both of Brattleboro, Vermont, who welcomed Natalie Padilla from Bozeman, Montana, as the newest member of the band last summer, after Lissa Schneckenburger amicably parted ways with the band. Though Schneckenburger is no longer a performing member of the band, Low Lily’s new album features four of her original songs. New member Padilla's world-class fiddle-playing is versatile, as she has won fiddle championships in multiple styles, including bluegrass, Old Time and Texas fiddle. Her sweet, clear voice blends beautifully with Cohen’s and Simmons’ in close three-part harmony – a major feature of their new music.

Follow the band on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, @lowlily1 @lowlilyband and YouTube at https://bit.ly/3cj7B93.

For tickets and more information, visit ashokancenter.org or call 845-657-8333.

The wampum belt was said to be given to William Penn by the Lenapes at the time of the 1682 treaty. The belt is made of white wampum with darker accent beads and depicts two figures holding hands, often interpreted as a sign of friendship and peace. Wampum refers to the shell beads used as currency by Native Americans in the eastern United States.

An overview of Native Lenape history In this talk, 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, at the Hudson River Maritime Museum's Wooden Boat School, 50 Rondout Landing, Kingston, or via Zoom, Stone Ridge educator Harv Hilowitz will discuss Lenape history, from early pre-contact times, through the European colonial period and their forced dispersion from Lenapehoking, to their survival and resilience into today. The talk will also address issues of cultural appropriation, theft of sacred objects and the failed attempted genocide of a proud nation.

Hilowitz has degrees in anthropology/ archaeology and special education. He

also has New York state credentials for educational supervision and administration.

His career has covered both the public and private sectors, evolving into work as a published author and grant writer, and as a consultant to local historical sites including Mount Gulian in Beacon. As a contributing scholar for the Maritime Museum, Hilowitz conducts Lenape history river tours on the Solaris boat monthly during the summer.

Admission to this event is $7 or free to Museum members.

For more information, visit hrmm.org or call 845-338-0071.

‘Mystery at the Tavern’ fundraiser for Hurley Library

four historic characters, we do not represent any of them as a murderer, nor do we place a murder in the historic Elmendorf House in Hurley.”

Celebrating its 25th year in business, Murder Café is owned and operated by Frank and Kirsten Marquette of Rosendale. Like all Murder Café productions it is rich in fact and fiction, comedy, drama and mystery. Along with Anika Krempl, the cast includes Murder Café owner-operator Marquette, Erica Woolley, Nicole Prepeluk, Samantha Mileski, Joshuah Patriarco and Jim Keenen. Live period music will be performed by Hannah Tufano.

Staged as a dinner theater show at the Venue at the Best Western, 503 Washington Ave., Kingston, at7 p.m. Saturday, April 29, “Mystery at the Tavern” will include a three-course dinner, cash bar, raffles and prizes for those who guess whodunit.

Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased by visiting hurleylibrary.org or by calling 845-338-2029. Proceeds will benefit Friends of the Hurley Library.

It's 1891 and everyone is invited to dine at the Half Moon Tavern in Hurley. Socialize with tavern owner John Elmendorf and his wife, Eliza. Gov. Levi Morton and his daughter, Alice, will be present along with college professor Percy Longfellow.

Be fussed over by a loyal butler and a fortune-hunting maid. Katherine Kerry, a writer for the Kingston Weekly Freeman, observes much more than merriment and gaiety when she witnesses a murder.

Whodunit and why? Written and directed

by Anika Krempl for Murder Café, various versions of her historical whodunit have enjoyed sold-out performances throughout the Hudson Valley since 2015. “ ‘Mystery at the Tavern’ is a work of historic fiction,” said Krempl. “Although it features

Garry Kvistad founded and operated Woodstock Chimes for 42 years and sold the company in 2021. He created it by integrating musical themes, about which he was a scholar, from many regions and times, which made it a worldwide seller. This talk, 7 p.m. tonight, Friday, April 21, at D&H Canal Historical Society, 1315 Route 213, Hill High Falls, will focus on the natural inspiration of musical harmony that seduced Kvistad into building instruments and making musical wind chimes. He will be joined by vocalist Timothy Hill, who is an accomplished harmonic overtone singer. Together they will perform and demonstrate the magical sounds of vocal and instrumental harmony.

For more information, visit cananmuseum.org or call 845-687-2000.

Poet and author Kimiko Hahn featured at the Ellen Robbins Poetry Forum This event, 10:15 a.m. Thursday, April 27, in the College Lounge in Vanderlyn Hall, at SUNY Ulster, 491 Cottekill Road, Stone Ridge campus, moderated by Dolores Quiles, professor emerita, will include a reading, interview, and Q&A by poet and author Kimiko Hahn.

Books will be available for purchase.

Hahn was born in Mount Kisco and grew up outside New York City. She is a distinguished professor in the MFA Program in Creative Writing & Literary Trans- Robbins lation at Queens College, City University of New York. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Iowa before returning to New York to attend Columbia for her master’s degree in Japanese literature. Hahn has published 10 poetry books including “Foreign Bodies, Brain Fever” and “Toxic Flora.” In addition, she previously served as president of the board of governors, Poetry Society of America, from 2016-2019.

To date Hahn has won the PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry, the American Book Award, and the Shelley Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America. She has also been awarded fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Sponsored by the Ulster Community College Foundation, the Poetry Forum is an annual event that brings well-known and award-winning poets to SUNY Ulster for intimate question-and-answer sessions.

In 2007, the program was renamed the Ellen Robbins Poetry Forum to honor the memory of Ellen Robbins (1952-2006), who was on the faculty at SUNY Ulster from 1994-2006.

This program is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Kari Mack at mackk@sunyulster.edu or 845687-5214.

April 21, 2023 Page 23 Services Offered

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Rose Hill Antiques 5066 Route 209 in Accord, ten miles south of Kingston or ten miles north of Ellenville.

Open Saturday and Sunday, 11am-5pm. 1500 square feet of Art Deco, Vintage Art Pottery, country and formal furniture, selections of 19th and 20th century lighting, vintage photos, and decorative accessories.

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Planning Board Meeting April 24 @ 6:00pm Zoning Board Meeting April 25 @ 6:00pm Housing Committee April 25 @ 7:00pm

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Page 23 April 21, 2023

at 140 Scarawan Rd. Stone Ridge,12484 Clearing the clutter of many beautiful, magical items that are ready to be passed along. Also, some practical items, like countertop oven, butcher block table, lamps, candle holders, colored glass items, vases, jewelry, recumbant bike, mirrors, and lots more.

This will be on Saturday and Sunday, April 22nd and 23rd; 9am-5pm

Town Board May 2 @ 6:00pm Housing Committee May 9 @ 7:00pm CPAB Meeting May 10 @ 5:00pm

ROSENDALE Rondout Municipal Center 1915 Lucas Avenue, Cottekill townofrosendale.com

845-658-3159

Police Commission April 25 @ 3:30 pm Water/Sewer Commission April 26 @ 5:00 pm Youth Commission May 1 @ 7:00 pm Town Board Workshop May 3 @ 7:00 pm Town Board Meeting May 10 @ 6:00 pm Environmental Commission May 11 @ 6:30 pm

ROCHESTER Harold Lipton Community Center, 15 Tobacco Road townofrochester.ny.gov

845-626-7384

Help Wanted/Items Needed

Environmental Conservation April 25 @ 7:00 pm

Driver Needed

Town Board Audit Meeting April 27 @ 7:00 pm

Cottekill to Westchester 3 days per week over 4 weeks, daily rate Call for more information

Town Board Meeting May 4 @ 6:30 pm Planning Board Meeting May 8 @ 7:00 pm

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Recreation Commission May 17 @ 9:30 am

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Page 24, April 21, 2023 BlueStone Press

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