The best source for local news from Marbletown, Rochester & Rosendale
Published the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month | Vol. 28, Issue 2
So curious in High Falls PAGE 11
January 20, 2023 | $1.00
School board wonders if graduates are prepared
Ros. Library proposed move to the Bell Tower
PAGE 4
PAGES 6 AND 7
Christmas Bird Count, a report from the trenches, says bird numbers are down Ann Belmont BSP reporter The Christmas Bird Count, an annual event sponsored by the National Audubon Society, entails a very basic sort of citizen science. On a designated day in December, you slowly drive, walk, or sit around watching your bird feeder, looking for birds and noting how many you see, and what species. Any bird nerd can do it. And if it’s an especially foggy day, listening closely for different bird sounds works just as well. There are three "counting circles", 15 miles in radius, that touch the Rondout Valley and its neighboring mountains. The oldest, called the Mohonk Lake/Ashokan Reservoir Count Circle has been going on now for 73 years. (A founding member was Dan Smiley of the Mohonk Mountain House Smileys.) Steve Chorvas, who has been participating in this count for at least 40 of those years, and compiling the count data for over twenty, said that the center point of the circle is actually Ulster County Community College, radiating out seven
On the left, a photo taken by James David Saul of a black-capped chickadee in Ellenville. In the center, a photo by Debbie Busby of a barred owl in New Paltz. In the right, a photo by Steven Bauer of a fox sparrow in Esopus.
and a half miles in every direction. Chorvas and his volunteers went out on Dec.17, fanning out to cover as much ground as they could, with each "field party" assigned to a different area. After people checked in with their results,“the general perception—which proved to be true—was that the bird numbers were down," Chorvas reported. "We finished with 72 species, 11,800 individuals…[go-
ing by] our average for the last ten years, we’re down eight species and about 2,500 individuals." Chorvas was not surprised by that, because "we’d had a mild December up to that point. What typically happens in mild weather, the birds are all spread out, there’s no reason for them to concentrate in any one place. Also, they don’t really need the feeders because there’s no snow
or ice blocking their access to natural foods…if we have a snowstorm, the activity at our feeder immediately picks up.” That said, Chorvas' final report noted "Despite the relative overall lack of birds, eleven species were detected in sufficient numbers to tie or establish new
See Bird count, page 5
MLK Day of Service event honors volunteers, held at Rosendale Recreation Center Jeff Slater BSP reporter On Saturday, January 14, a celebration was held honoring volunteers. Sponsored by UlsterCorps, nearly 140 folks from various agencies attended. Food was served, and a raffle took place as volunteers from the county were honored. Music was provided, and volunteers ran all these components. County executive Jen Metzger was in attendance and spoke about the community and Michelle Hinchey, state senator. People, including county legislator Manna Jo Greene, spoke of their personal connection to Dr. King and the civil rights movement. “This event was held in Rosendale for the last four years and before that at the Marbletown Community Center.” Said Beth Albright of UlsterCorps Some local volunteers said the following
On left, Barbara Koerner of Accord volunteered for UIDN in Kingston and on right, Paula Kates Veeder volunteer at the Rosendale Food Pantry, enjoying the celebration. Photos by Jeff Slater
about their work and the event. Luci Windsong-Rain of Rosendale, a volunteer at the Rosendale Theater, said, “It’s important to recognize those who do
service to the community and give their time and support to do different things in the community. I’m into community and want to do things for it. At the theater I
usher and work in concession and sometimes work with the tech crew and volunteer at the Old Dutch Church in Kingston and do the sound. I think it’s rewarding.” Another volunteer Barbara Koerner of Accord, volunteers for the Ulster Immigrant Defense Network in Kingston, said, “I work with the part of the organization that is household support and I work particularly for the Wednesday Food Pantry food distribution Wednesdays at the Holy Cross Church in Kingston. I volunteer because the need is out there, and I think it’s important for those of us who can volunteer and try to help meet the needs and it’s personally rewarding. I also feel that we're just a backstop effort and in addition to providing this kind of direct action we really need to be mindful of electing the right kind of representatives to government so that these issues of poverty and
See Volunteers, page 15