BlueStone Press

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

Published the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month | Vol. 28, Issue 7

April 7, 2023 | $1.00

Moratorium Rochester Easter Egg Hunt land use extension Rochester hearings on tax exemption and ethics law draw plenty of comment Ann Belmont BSP reporter Last June the Rochester town board voted for a land-use moratorium dealing with building permits, subdivisions, site plans and special uses of any site that involves the creation of three or more new lots, to last six months with two possible three-month extensions. The purpose of the moratorium was an extensive review of Rochester's zoning code, and the board has been holding public hearings periodically as it works through various sections of the code. Six months proved not enough, however, and the board has twice voted to extend the time another three months to complete it.

“The moratorium we adopted June 2, 2022, expires June 4," said town supervisor Mike Baden at the board's April 3 business meeting. “Quite frankly, we’re not going to be done and have the public hearings and refer it to the county and the local planning board by June… so I’m proposing a local law extending this one more time from June 5 until October 1.” There will

See Rochester hearings, page 3

What to do with the MCC? Community grapples with town regarding the future of the Marbletown Community Center Jeff Slater BSP reporter

The annual Rochester Recreation department Easter Egg Hunt took place on Saturday, April 1 at the Town Park in Accord. The Easter Bunny even made an appearance! An almost springlike day helped make and the event a success that was enjoyed by all. Photo by Manuela Michailescu.

“The town board has not listed the Community Center for sale and has not decided to sell the building,” said Town of Marbletown Supervisor Rich Parete.

Parete continued, “Town Board members have a responsibility to evaluate our properties on an ongoing basis. In the past few years, we’ve moved town office to the Rosendale School and we’ve taken ownership of the Marbletown Firehouse.

It’s expensive to maintain all these buildings and we have to work within a budget.

The Rondout Municipal Center has a gymnasium, former Bistro with a large kitchen and two large meeting rooms. I believe the Rondout Municipal Center

See Community Center, page 6

Marbletown Housing Committee addresses current area housing crisis Brooke Stelzer BSP Reporter The Marbletown Town Board meeting was held in person at 1925 Lucas Ave. in Cottekill and streamed on Facebook Live on Tuesday, March 21. Town board members were present in person, including Rich Parete, Chairman and Town Supervisor, along with board members Tim Hunt, Don LaFera and Daisy Foote. Ken Davenport was not present. The Marbletown Housing Committee presented its

Two top students Kinsella and Pileggi PAGE 17

survey findings and recommendations in an extensive 45 minute presentation, led

by Marian Martinez and Vin Martello. Ted Fink, Founder and Planner for GREENPLAN, a Rhinebeck-based company that provides general community planning services to village, town and city legislative and planning boards, joined via Zoom.

The town has hired Fink to work with the Housing Committee on assessments and future plans. In a statement to BSP on March 27 regarding the survey, Fink stated, “It was an issue 20 years ago and has

gotten worse in the last few years. Marbletown, like Ulster County in general, is addressing the issue head-on by studying the need for housing for all of its residents and reviewing the best tools available to do so.” There were 474 town respondents to the survey, out of an estimated population of 5,800. Most respondents were aged 35 or older, while the largest percentage of respondents were over age 65.

Ninety percent of respondents were homeowners, and 80% of them said there is not enough adequate, affordable hous-

Happy Easter: Rabbits eat their own poop PAGE 19

ing in Marbletown. 35% of respondents stated they were “housing stressed,” and 55% said they would be open to new types of well designed, energy efficient and affordable housing. Martinez and Martello presented several recommendations to relieve the housing crisis in Marbletown, which includes increasing overall housing stock at market rate, diversifying housing stock to meet price points and needs, and to facilitate the development of affordable

See Housing, page 6

Rosendale Library answers questions PAGE 9

Page 2, April July 7, 1, 2022, 2023 ,BlueStone BlueStonePress Press

Dancing through life When did you move to this area and what brought you here?

Although we had previously looked a few times to move upstate, the year 2020 was a catalyst for us to finally make the move to greener pastures in the Hudson Valley. Our primary reason was better schooling and our aspirations of our children being able to run around in a garden and grow up enjoying a simpler way of life.

We had outgrown our days in the city in our tiny sixth-floor apartment in Brooklyn Visit the folks overlooking the Verrazzano-Narnext door rows Bridge.

Q&A

Tell us about your family.

I grew up in a multicultural household in London and so most of my family is based there and I miss them dearly. My parents are from Mauritius, a tiny paradise island, which Mark Twain once proclaimed as a “blueprint for heaven on earth.” Nested off the east coast of South Africa in the Indian Ocean close to Madagascar and Seychelles, I have relatives there and the cuisines reflect the multi-cultural melting pots of French, Indian Chinese, and Creole influences.

I live with my husband Yusef and our two children Zeal and Revel Austin with names they live up to. Yusef runs The Cocktail Architect, a mixology and events company and we got married barefoot in Mexico with our closest friends and family in a beautiful beach ceremony.

Revel plays soccer with the local AYSO team in Stone Ridge and Zeal is joining this year too. We love cooking together and exposing our kids to different foods, spices and cuisines. When I'm not hosting Ayurveda workshops, coaching clients, or writing, all of us can be found dancing together on our deck at sunset.

You’re involved in a few wellness modalities, tell us about them and why you’re passionate about your work.

Yes, I'm a certified Ayurvedic Wellness Coach and creator of Global Dance Fusion. My mission is to inspire others to live a healthy life in balance and be accountable for their health.

Although eating well and self-maintenance are values I strive to keep in check daily, it was not always that way. I was an overweight child growing up in the 1970s and watched many loved ones suffer from lifestyle diseases like hypertension, sleep apnea, obesity, and depression. Back then

sical Kathak Dance as a young child and performed after my late father Gaya, a renowned Hindu priest and spiritual leader, hosted Vedic ceremonies in the community and temples across London, England. Dancing at such a young age gave me self-confidence and was a wonderful way to express myself. I performed an African Dance known as Sega Mauritius local dance.

Nandini Natasha Austin Profession: Ayurveda Wellness Coach and Global Dance Fusion Creator Town: Olivebridge

self-care did not exist, not in my family anyway, and there was not as much emphasis on wellness as there is today. When my father died of health-related issues, it spurred me to take action and study Ayurveda. Shortly afterward I graduated from the Kerala Academy in Kerala and Milipas, California.

So what is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is a holistic system of well-being that was developed in India some 5,000 years ago as a way to help people sync with nature and thrive in an ever-changing environment.

The word translates to the Science of life in Sanskrit deriving from “Ayur,” meaning life, and “Veda,” meaning knowledge.

Ayurveda is the science of life and is the sister science to Yoga. These healing modalities are two branches of the same tree but whereas Yoga focuses on quieting the mind, Ayurveda is a much larger body of knowledge that encompasses the body (digestion, movement ) the mind ( meditation, Yoga, breathwork) and the spirit (ways to spark joy in hobbies, passion projects, etc.). Ayurveda is about prevention rather than cure and recognizes not one size fits all. Each of us is unique so there is no cookie-cutter approach to treatment.

My vision is to make self-maintenance a necessity of life, not a luxury or a chore, but to drive home that it's the small changes over time that lead to the biggest mental, emotional, and physical transformations. I devise customized wellness plans for each client that includes nutritious recipes, mindful eating techniques, conscious cooking, dance, movement, exercise, body care, breath, movement, and meditation.

I was classically trained in Indian Clas-

What gives you satisfaction?

Seeing a room full of smiling faces after a class. Post class, the energy in the room is electric with positive energy. People are buzzing and connecting, numbers are being swamped and I love being that connector and getting people out of their shells. After class, people come to me and express so much gratitude for making them feel welcomed at this no-judgment class. More than pure job satisfaction, it's like earning good Karma. I also see and hear the positive effect I am having on some of the older community. My goal is to keep them moving and many are surprised they could keep up and or were daunted at the prospect of dancing. But I keep the class well-paced, mixing a combo of stretching, dance yoga, always starting with breathwork, setting an intention and ending with a longer luxurious cool down.

It's a cardio full body conditioning class that ignites our body, mind, and spirit.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love cooking and walking in nature, watching Sci Fiction movies, the Gaia Channel, and writing on all things Wellness! I am a true seeker so new experiences, people, and places excited me.

What do you have planned for the future?

I am planning on making Ayurveda more accessible and adding cooking classes, experiences, and workshops to include Ayurveda Daily Rituals and Ayurvedic Nutrition like Get Curried Away which takes place next week in Kingston. In Ayurveda digestion is everything and using spices in your food has many benefits but often people think spice = heat which is not true.

I hope to identify that curries are hard to make and offer wholesome nourishing Mauritian-inspired dishes like fragrant curries, and delicious dhaka accompanied with the chutneys, yogurts, and yummy pikelets. All this food will be washed down with artisan handcrafted sodas powered by spice and inspired by the island of Mauritius by my husband Yusef, who will be selling his line of artisan syrups. You'll see us in Stoneridge Farmers Markets Sunday Starting in May. Overall, I continue to build community as food connects people.

To learn more, drop Nandini a line at nandiniaustin@gmail.com Or sign up to her Ayurvedic Monthly Living Magazine here nandiniaustin.com or on Instagram @nandiniaustin -Compiled by Jeff Slater, BSP Reporter

BSP Corrections In the March 17 edition in the story, Rosendale Board gives committee reports.

On page 8, we incorrectly identified that Town Board member Ashley Sweeney attended the Association of Towns conference when it was Town councilmember member Molly Muller. BlueStone Press apologizes for the error.

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BlueStone Press, April 7, 2023 , Page 3

Rochester hearings from page 1 be a public hearing on this proposal on Thursday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m.

When a NY State law was enacted last December permitting local governments to offer a property tax exemption to local volunteer firefighters and EMTs, the board began to formulate a local law to do so for Rochester. The volunteers will get a 10% reduction on their property valuation after two years of active service. "We also added a lifetime exemption for anyone who accrues 20 years of active service,” Baden said, a benefit which will be extended to the spouse (whether legally married or not) of a deceased lifetime member as well as to the spouse of anyone killed in the line of duty. “Hopefully we will never experience that.”

When the floor opened for comment from the public, the common thread seemed to be that the proposed law doesn't go far enough. Shirley Avery spoke first. “It says nothing in that law about renters. 25 to 30 percent of [our volunteers] live at home with their parents or rent property," she pointed out. "I don’t think that’s fair.”

Fire chief Peter Nelson commented, “I think this is a very important tool. One of the biggest problems we have is the recruitment and retention of firefighters.” He regretted the lack of provision for renters, saying, “We have plenty of renters,” but added, “there is a $200 [income] tax credit from NY State for volunteer firefighters who are not property owners."

John Dunning, Accord fire commissioner, said, “We’re already starting to see the benefits of this, seeing some old members who are coming back… I do feel bad for the renters, but this is the starting point.

We can springboard off it, hopefully down the road get something for the renters."

Gerry Fornino was next. “I have been emergency management director [for the town of Rochester] for 15 years," he said.

He talked about a young but very experienced firefighting volunteer who recently joined the force. "I think he might’ve broken a record—he did three structure fires in one day!” The man is renting a home from Fornino, who is eager to keep him

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on the squad and wishes there were an incentive like the tax reduction. "We really need to look at volunteerism. There’s a limit to what you can expect. We have to do more. Not just the town—the county, the community…. these people, they have to go to work the next day. They’ve been fighting fires, and there’s no compensation…. anything we can do to help these people. We’re going to lose them, and end up with a paid fire department, like it or not, because somebody has to put these fires out.”

Charles Nerko said, “I’m a volunteer EMT in town….KAFAS [the Kerhonkson-Accord First Aid Squad] is now a hybrid squad," with some paid professionals on staff, thanks to the creation of a town ambulance tax created last year. "In March, for the first time in KAFAS history, we had a perfect, 100% response rate [to calls]. I want to commend the town for seriously looking for solutions so these volunteer agencies can continue.” Thirty have closed in the state since COVID-19, he said. “If a volunteer agency goes insolvent, the commercial agencies come around like vultures, looking for a contract. It’s kind of like signing up for Spectrum. The first year, the price is good. But when that contract comes up for renewal!... and if you’re a patient dealing with a bill, it’s going to be worse than Central Hudson.”

He stressed another advantage: “We’re a set of highly trained volunteers who live in town. We know the entrances to schools.

We know the nurse’s office. We know the houses of worship. We know how to get to the difficult addresses on the back roads."

Nerko described a recent call involving a child with an allergic reaction. “I live near Olive. I knew I could beat the ambulance by five minutes. So I drove to this young boy’s house, I had the EpiPen and was able to start treatment pending the arrival of the ambulance…you don’t get that with a commercial ambulance. Only through the support of our dedicated volunteers.

This legislation is a game-changer… it’s a tangible sign from the town board of their

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Mohonk Preserve Healthy Ulster 2023

WE ARE OPEN!

Mohonk Preserve invites Ulster County neighbors to receive a free one-month pass during the Healthy Ulster Pass Program. Visitors with proof of residency may pick up passes Friday, April 21 - Sunday, April 23 at the Visitor Center, Testimonial Gateway and Spring Farm Trailheads from 9am - 6pm.

For more information, visit: mohonkpreserve.org/healthyulster Healthy Ulster is made possible with generous support from Ulster Savings Charitable Foundation.

Photo by Tom Weiner

mohonkpreserve.org/healthyulster (845) 255-0919

Page 4, April 7, 2023 , BlueStone Press

School environmental club takes the lead on recycling

Briefs Spaghetti Takeout Dinner fundraiser for Little Ones Learning Center rescheduled

Rondout budget committee looking at a 3% increase Amber Kelly BSP Reporter

Little Ones Learning Center, a free early literacy program for children 0-6, has rescheduled its Spaghetti Takeout Dinner Fundraiser to 4:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22, at its location, at Rochester Reformed Church, 5142 Route 209, Accord. The menu for the takeout only spaghetti dinner fundraiser, sponsored by LOLC includes spaghetti and meatballs, salad, bread and dessert. The cost is $12 for adults; $8 for children, 6-12; and free for children under 5.

Reservations are required by calling 845-750-1341 or emailing LOLC12404@ gmail.com.

Monthly meeting for the Marbletown Democratic Committee The Marbletown Democratic Committee will meet, 7 p.m. Monday, April 17, at the Marbletown Municipal Center, 1925 Lucas Avenue, Cottekill, Room M-15.

The agenda will include nominations for new members, upcoming campaigns and fundraising events. All voters are welcome. For more information, contact John Harrington, Chair of the Marbletown Democratic Committee at john.p.harrington15@gmail.com.

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Students from the high school environmental club presented a recycling plan to the BOE on March 21 in the high school cafeteria. The club had done an audit and found juice and milk cartons were often unopened but put in the trash, along with untouched fruit and unopened condiments, adding weight to the trash.

They concluded for example that 11,000 pounds of garbage during a school year at the high school could be composted and not carted.

The use of disposable trays equals 32,500 used per school year, which adds a lot of volume to the trash. The environmental club recommends using reusable trays, cutlery and dishware, implementing a composting program throughout the district, and reinstating district-wide recycling. Even with the cost of a dishwasher and the purchase of reusable cutlery, dishes and trays, it will save money. A similar sized school in Minnesota with 800 students reported a $23,000 savings over 2 years.

The club continued the presentation, saying that since Sept. 2022, the club has been working with administration, county officials, community and staff. Through working with Ulster County officials, they found out about the Food and Waste Prevention Recovery Act which allows two tons of waste per organization in 2022, but by 2024 it is .05 tons per organization and that number is just going to keep going down. The district will fall under that law eventually and it requires the composting of food waste by 2025. By composting now, the district prevents more food going into the landfills. "We currently send our trash 400 miles away to a landfill in Seneca Falls, NY That landfill is closing in 2025, so we need alternative solutions," they said.

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Allysa Hasbrouck, school business official, gives a budget presentation to the BOE on March 21 in the high school cafeteria. Photo by Amber Kelly

site location for a composting bin. In the meantime, the club is hauling food waste in bins they purchased to the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency. Options for composting on-site includes tumblers, bins made by a woodworking class or simply piles on the ground.

Recycling happened before the pandemic. Then the district got a new hauler.

County Waste provides a single stream recycling dumpster, but the schools in the district need a means to get the recycling to those dumpsters. The schools need new bins for the classrooms and a system consistent throughout the district. Education of staff and students could be done with posters, assemblies, and sorting stations.

The environmental club also recommended menu expansion through expanding relationships with local farms through the Rondout Valley Growers Association, the health and wellness committee, expansion of current agriculture program, and offering local food and more plant-based options. The club suggests that diversifying the food would improve the health and the grades of the student, improve food quality, create bonds with community and even help the local economy.

Board member Nicole Parete said, “I just want to say thank you. You guys are awesome. Thank you for doing this work because you are educating us. I wasn’t aware of all these issues. Thank you so much. It is so important, so thank you for coming here and doing this. I one hundred percent support your work. Hopefully we can move forward on it.”

Board member Megan Snair asked if a dishwasher was something the board could look into.

Superintendent Dr. Joseph Morgan said, “Yes, our team did talk about it and the facilities director and I did do a walk through…what we’d like to do is to do reusable so we are not throwing away anything, but that is going take washing machines as they said, and there’s a bit of labor, there’s a bit of equipment, and there’s supply stuff behind that. In the future we can come back to the board with it. We’ve come a long way; we had Styrofoam clamshell not too long ago.”

“We have contracted with a different hauler, so that’s one of the conversations we’ve been having; is where do we haul it? Will we be hauling the compost waste?

Where could we compost? We are charged when we haul it, so it is more cost effective to compost it,” Dr. Morgan said.

The intermediate and junior high school

have been composting for the past three years and have the goal of decreasing the amount of waste produced. So far they are only recycling fruits and vegetables, but they want to do more. That is why they are separating out trays, compost, recycling and garbage. The environmental clubs at those schools made posters to show all students what products go into which buckets.

Dr. Moran said, “Thank you for taking the lead on this, you are leading us.”

School Business Official Alyssa Hasbrouck presented the 2023/2024 budget. She said, “This is the summarized version… I have a few points to make.

You’ll see a big increase on the BOCES line, that’s because we offer more BOCES services and also we have the BOCES capital project there now, that we are paying into for the next couple of years. You’ll see transportation increase and that’s because we are back to full transportation and we are out of that COVID transportation. We are finally getting revenue back for our capital project.”

Hasbrouck presented the revenue side next and showed a chart with the max tax levy increase of 3.89% on the left of chart and said that what the budget committee has been talking about is going to 3%. That .89% less is about $379,000.

Hasbrouck explained that on the expenditure side, from last year’s budget to this year there is a 4.8% increase driven by health insurance and transportation. Capital outlay projects will be reimbursed fifty percent and this year includes replacing the high school stage curtain, which needed replacing anyway. Increased costs are anticipated for special education, general utilities, the price of gas and drug budgets.

“Some budget highlights are that all current programs will continue and we are enhancing programs,” Hasbrouck said. “Two that I will highlight are we’re enhancing the agriculture program, which will help with the environmental clubs, assisting them in their goals. It is just to refine the agriculture program to make it a true pathway to graduation, working with the Future Farmers of America program and expanding that into junior high.

“The other aspect is the K-3 technology program… just to make sure we are compliant with New York State. We are also working with CRRSA and ARP grant monies to purchase security upgrades,” Hasbrouck concluded.

BlueStone Press, April 7, 2023 , Page 5

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Page 6, April 7, 2023 , BlueStone Press sentations. Remember the great turnout to learn about coyotes? The Marbletown seniors meet the first and third Friday of the month with some people coming as from page 1 far away as Red Hook. The Stone Ridge can accommodate everything we currentLibrary uses it. According to the staff overly do at the Community Center.” seeing it the MCC is very well used. Why Some community members, do not has the facility not been better promoted? agree despite the problems with the With all Marbletown’s wealth ... will we building. come together to upgrade this historic “The furnace is at the end of its usebuilding,” said Vivi Hiavsa, community ful life. The roof has a leak and we’ve member. been quoted $60,000 for a new one. The The building has a history going back Rondout Municipal Center is expensive to the 1800s, when it was first a store and to operate. Electric is about $ 40,000 a then the Stone Ridge Methodist Church year and we spend $20,000 in fuel oil. The owned on land by Samuel Stilwel. Then pavilion and the bathrooms at the town being remodeled in 1933 and used for park are old and in need of updating. The Scout meetings, Youth rallies and a old Town Hall is rented to the Food pantry. Church School according to a document We don’t have the money to invest in all compiled by Charles Cullen of High Falls. these buildings. We need to decide which Ev Mann, who is trying to organize a buildings serve their needs of the commu- benefit to raise money for the Community nity best,” continued Parete.

Center said, “The Marbletown CommuniDespite these concerns, residents are ty Center is a vital part of our life in Stone voicing that the Marbletown Community Ridge. It has served so many of us over the center is an important part of the commu- years and I cannot imagine our life withnity for them. out it. If we are our going to have a thriving “Almost 25 years ago, Stone Ridge held historic district, it is essential that we all a series of public meetings observing the join forces to save and preserve it.” community had no ‘center.’ So if one wantCornelia Wathen said, “Since 2012 the ed to post an important notice, there was Community Center has been the home no place in the community to see it. Or if for the Holistic Health Community. Each our teenagers had no place to hang out. month, about 16 of our 65 holistic practiIn fact, folks had no place to meet without tioners serve the community by offering spending money. We agreed we needed free health care there as well as offering a public space for many reasons. Miracufree classes in holistic self-care. When we lously, the American legion donated their heard that the Community Center might building and supplies and people donated be sold we were alarmed and saddened. their time to create the Marbletown ComWe love the Community Center, not only munity center. Young people created tiles because it is our home, but because we for the bathroom. People dug up the front see it as an historical icon that is the center lawn planting daffodils. In other words, of our town, and a place for building and this building has important history. Since celebrating community.” then, the MCC [Marbletown CommuAt the board meeting on April 4, several nity Center] has been used for all kinds spoke about the importance of the Comof things, gatherings such as birthdays, munity Center and how the center is so weddings, anniversaries; programs or much a part of the community. trainings, games, town meetings and prePeople spoke of other solutions includ-

MCC

Housing from page 1 housing. Recommendations came in part by joining the Ulster County Housing Smart Communities and reviewed their recommended actions.

The Committee further recommended establishing a housing fund or trust, or joining the Ulster County Trust. The entity would manage affordable housing. In addition, they recommended increasing the mandatory percentage of affordable units in all major subdivisions. Another recommendation includes permitting a variety of housing options in rural areas, like accessory dwellings, mixed-use buildings, small-lot single-family homes in a clustered setting, and to provide incentives for adaptive reuse of commercial buildings.

“There are housing options now that are in demand by people who, they’re called

‘makers,’” said Fink. “Folks that like to build things and they’re often done in the context of what’s called live-work housing unit, where there’s both the residential and commercial component where it works very well. Kingston and the “needle trade” buildings (such as The Shirt Factory) has a number of these that have been developed, The Shirt Factory is one in the city of Kingston.

I worked with Kingston more than 15 years ago to be able to redevelop these buildings in the midtown area and they’re very attractive to artists, to people who like to develop and build things.”

The Committee recommends the adoption of an Affordable Housing Overlay Zone District, which would identify locations that could “absorb” denser, mixed income housing. Further recommendations include identifying “soft sites” for development, such as Marbletown and Ulster College properties, abandoned or vacant structures, or areas that are tax delinquent.

MCC at Memorial Day Commemoration 2021. Photo by Tim Hunt

ing selling the Marbletown Firehouse and possible fund raisers and a grants. Nancy Plummer, Stone Ridge resident said, “I’m here because I’m concerned about the Community Center and its possible closure. There’s a number of people I’ve been talking to and there are things were talking about doing like a fund raiser, and the community soliciting monies from local business and a Historical Society grant.” After citing the many events held at the center.

At the meeting Rich Parete shared a suggestion that the town build a community center in front of Marbletown Park, citing the problems with the Marbletown Community Center .

Nina Shengold said,” I’m here to talk about the Community Center which I loved as long as I’ve been here about 35 years [community center for the last 25 years]. I think it is a store house of memories for every single person in this town my daughter went to after school arts and crafts as a preschooler, my nephew took African drumming lessons there, I‘ve been to countless Stone Ridge library events there, readings there and parties.

I’ve taught teenage writing workshops The presentation continued with the idea of a Housing Rehabilitation Program that incentivizes the rehab of existing housing that help lower income residents and creating a home-share program that pairs older homeowners with younger residents.

“This has to be a county effort, this has really helped me understand that,” said Councilmember Daisy Foote. “If this community is going to be serious about this whole housing issue, which I think demographically is changing right now, if we don’t do something about this, we won’t have a certain kind of community, we just won’t have it. And so, a lot of people are going to be asked to go outside of their comfort zone, and I think there are a lot of ways to sell it. And I mean funny enough, a lot of things we are talking about are better for the environment. You’re talking about density development, preserving space around that.”

“I would just say in closing, please approach this with a sense of urgency that

there and most recently and my family rented it for two memorials there for my mother and father. There is not one of those events that would fit better in this building [the Rondout Municipal Center].

I understand your discomfort with these rumors but you’ve got to understand how confusing it is when you hear Rich saying I want to sell the building and giving detailed plans about the one he’s imagining on the front lawn of the park and others saying everything that’s wrong with the building. Of course, rumors are going to fly. The impression that this a problem and we want to get rid of it is very strong and if you want people not to be spreading those rumors you’ve got to correct it by saying we're considering everything, but we cherish this place.”

Board Member Tim Hunt said, “Personally I love the Community Center. But as a town board member and a liaison to the Youth and Recreation Committee, I take decisions about fiduciary responsibility, building maintenance, programming and community engagement seriously. The board has made no plan to sell the center.

I am impressed but not surprised by the passion and connection to the Marbletown Community Center and events long held. We need input on town priorities like the center, and my goal is a win-win solution for protecting this town asset while increasing utilization and income to offset emerging maintenance costs.”

Another Board Member, Daisy Foote said, “ While I still have concerns about the cost for repairs of the community center, I look forward to finding creative ways to make this work. I totally heard and understood how important the center is to many– its practical and emotional resonance. Finally it was wonderful to see so many come out to the board meeting on Tuesday. Community engagement is so important. I encourage more attendance."

is demanded,” said Martello. “If we do nothing or we do it too slowly, our options will dwindle.”

“If the Governor’s Housing Plan gets approved, each municipality has to grow its housing by 1% over three years,” said Parete. “So we would have to add 25 units and so I think the board can decide which units.

We would have to change our zoning laws to allow for lower homes.” In a statement to BSP on March 26, Parete concluded, “Marian and Vin worked really hard and their report is comprehensive. It gives the town board a path forward to address the housing situation. We’ve hired a planner that will work with us to implement the most appropriate recommendations for Marbletown. We are in a housing crisis, hardworking and productive members of our community are being left behind.” A full list of the Committee’s recommendations can be found on the Marbletown Town website.

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BlueStone Press, April 7, 2023 , Page 7

Board grants extensions for Cherries’ special use request and the Hasbrouck subdivision Amber Kelly BSP Reporter Chairman Max Stratton began the agenda at the planning board meeting on March 27 with a new application for a lot line adjustment at 3050 Route 209, saying it was a relatively straight forward application.

Addressing Stephanie Bassler of North River Architecture & Planning, Stratton said, “If you want to just give us a little narrative on it, we can start from there.”

Bassler said that the two lots were purchased by her client several years ago and they were subdivided by the previous owner prior to sale. She didn’t think there were any discrepancies but they contain multiple historic properties. The owner has plans for the property combined as a single parcel. It is better suited as one lot as it has a main house, horse paddocks, and three or four barn structures. It is in use now for agriculture and part of the plan is accommodation for farm workers.

“He’s working with some farming consultants to develop his farming plan,” Bassler said. “I will be bringing it to the town when it is ready for discussion.”

Board member Dan Proctor said, “This is a pretty straight-forward lot line adjustment, it is two lots, one is 6.9 acres and one is 6.8 acres. They basically want to just put them together. It is in the A2 district.”

Stratton made the motion to accept the determination as written, and the board voted yes. The two mylar and six paper copies of the new plat maps will be need-

ed for the board to sign.

Lawrence O’Toole represented the Cherries special use application, at 4162-4166 US Rte. 209 and said that the engineer for the Ulster County Health Dept. has approved the existing septic as sufficient for the projected use. The Ulster BOH sent an email stating that approval.

Stratton said that a letter on Ulster board of health letterhead will be needed.

The other issue is the parking. The request that the first two spaces be 24 ft. was denied, they must be 26 ft. The town engineer has proposed that the first two parking spots be on a 45-degree angle so then the 26 ft. is achieved.

The fence between the properties needs to begin after the right of way along the road to be compliant with code. Lawrence agreed to adjust the fence back beyond right of way on the plat map, stating that it was just an oversight.

The space between buildings must be twelve feet. Lawrence agreed to shift the plat map in compliance and stated that the plan is to demolish the middle building.

The request to extend the deadline for a decision to May was granted in order to get the written letter from the board of health and finish all other details. Lawrence was hoping for April.

Bassler also presented for the subdivision by Hasbrouck House, saying “It’s been almost a year since the approvals, and the owners have struggled with circumstances of COVID impacting on their business cash flow. They have a significant

Max Stratton, chair of the planning board leads the Planning Board meeting on March 27 in the Marbletown town hall.

Photo by Amber Kelly

investment to date, so have vested interest in having this occur. Obviously, they don’t want to let the investment in the potential go to waste, but… step by step the project has been slowed. There are also the funds required to do the soil testing, pay the town engineers, the attorney fees, and the surveyor fees. I have reviewed all the necessary tasks ahead of us. The applicants are aware of what’s ahead of them. I do know that under some circumstances the board would entertain a second request for extension. I don’t know that all this will take place within ninety days, but that is certainly their intention.”

Shawn Marks explained that everything must be completed to get signatures on the new map.

The town's attorney, Tracey Kellogg said

that it is not at all unusual to come for an extension for funding with a project of this scope.

Bassler said that they are ninety days away from getting all these requirements done, then they need to do fund raising for architectural drawings, and thought it was too soon to get a permit for a driveway cutting.

Kellogg agreed, and explained that the fact that the site plan, the special use permit, and the subdivision are joined makes the timeline more problematic.

Sub division approval last, but building permits expire.

All board members voted to support the letter of extension for ninety days except Klien.

Klien said, “We had many members of the community who spoke up with contentions about noise, trash… and I want to err on the side of them.”

Stratton said, “The board must enforce the code, and this is a reasonable request.”

“We have to follow the code but we have the opportunity to not grant this,” Klien said.

“But we are a community and we have to look at the economic value that this has for the community and I think it’s a substantial economic value, and secondarily, we’re a community that is short on housing and this project offers additional housing,” Dave Cobb said.

The 90-day extension was granted.

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Page 8, April 7, 2023 , BlueStone Press

Briefs Open casting call for Rosendale Theatre Short Play Festival

High Falls Firehouse has a mold problem and is closed for now

The casting call for the short play festival, “Love is Love, the LGBTQ+ Plays,” all original 10–12-minute pieces presented in full production, will take place on 10 a.m.-2:45 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 29 and 30, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale. Participants should come to the audition with either a memorized, short contemporary monologue or bring in a piece to read that shows their range. Those in attendance may also be asked to read from the selected plays. All ages, genders and ethnicities are needed and welcomed. Bring a headshot/resume and be prepared to list any conflicts for rehearsals which will begin on Monday, May 15. There will be a total of four performances, held June 8-11. Actors will receive a small stipend and ideally will be cast in more than one play. Production assistants are also needed to help each of the three directors, Susan Einhorn, Sydnie Grosberg Ronga and Guy Anthony. This is an unpaid internship. The festival is produced with the assistance of the Ulster County Cultural Services & Promotion Fund Administered by Arts Mid-Hudson.

For more information and questions, contact Ann Citron, Theatre Arts Director and Producer at ann@rosendaletheatre. org or Susan Einhorn, Artistic Director of the festival at saenyc@aol.com.

Women’s Club of Rosendale Scholarships The Women's Club of Rosendale will once again sponsor two scholarships for students residing in the town of Rosendale. Rosendale students graduating from high school this June and planning to attend a two-or four-year college should obtain a scholarship application from the guidance department at Rondout Valley High School. Call Lynn Wells at 845-6872400, ext. 4213 or email lwells@rondout. k12.ny.us. Applications are also available at the Rosendale Library, at 264 Main St., Rosendale and on the Library’s website, rosendalelibrary.org.

A second scholarship is available to Town of Rosendale residents graduating from SUNY Ulster this spring and planning to continue their education at a four-year college or university. Applications for this scholarship should be submitted through the Ulster Community College Foundation, Inc. Visit sunyulster.edu/foundation for scholarship applications.

These scholarships are available for student tuition or books and fees.

Application deadline is April 14.

For more information, visit Women’s Club of Rosendale on Facebook.

Brooke Stelzer BSP Reporter The Marbletown Town Board meeting was held in-person at 1925 Lucas Ave., Cottekill, and streamed on Facebook Live Tuesday, April 4. Town board members were present in-person, including Rich Parete, chairman and town supervisor, along with board members Tim Hunt, Don LaFera and Daisy Foote. Ken Davenport was not present. Two Resolutions were presented and both passed, 4-0.

Resolution 43 is a local law known as “prior written notice” as it applies to notice of highway defects by citizens. Any defects or potholes must be submitted in a written notice prior to any legal action against the town. Resolution 44 authorizes the sale of surplus highway equipment, which allows the Highway Superintendent to sell a 1987 Caterpiller Model 416 4x4 backhoe/loader.

In other business, Parete noted that the High Falls Firehouse has a problem with mold in their meeting area and the firehouse is now closed. The trucks are still working and can respond to calls. Parete noted that voting for Districts One and Seven will probably happen at 1925 Lucas Ave. in Cottekill.

Parete shared that as a Director of the Catskill Watershed Corporation, he attended an organizational meeting on April 4. Parete spoke with Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala, Deputy Commissioner Paul Rush and Director of Outreach, John Milgrim regarding leaks found by the DEP and USGS in the Rondout deep rock pressure tunnel, which runs under Marbletown. Parete and the commissioners have identified properties impacted by surface expressions from the leaks and said the town will start notifying property owners that their property will be included in the mitigation settlement. An IGA, or intergovernmental agreement, is currently in development.

Parete noted a new CCA [Community

Choice Aggregation] program that will go into effect on July 1 for a 24-month term.

After getting multiple quotes, the town has decided to go with Direct Energy. Twelve municipalities will join the CCA, and Parete noted that residents can opt in or out at any time, even month to month, if Central Hudson rates are lower than CCA rates. In addition to Marbletown, Parete noted some of the other participating municipalities include Philipstown, New Paltz, Nelsonville, Cold Spring, Clinton, Poughkeepsie, Rhinebeck, Red Hook and Saugerties. There are three energy options that residents will be able to choose from, including a fixed rate of $0.11240/kWh for blended electricity, which is the default.

Two other alternative energy options are renewable electricity at the fixed rate of $0.12240/kWh and conventional electricity at the fixed rate of $0.09870/kWh. Parete said the town will have a meeting

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with Joule, the energy broker for the town, in May. The board noted that it’s trying to find a solution for the water meters in High Falls that are still not working. In a statement to BSP on April 5, Parete said, “It’s my understanding that none of the water meters are working. We purchased 210 meters in 2019 that are waiting to be activated and installed. The water district will have to borrow money to pay for the installation, we may go through a local bank, or borrow money from one of our reserve accounts or fund balance. We have a billing company that estimates bills based on customers previous usage.”

The board noted that the town will be closed on Friday, April 7 for Good Friday.

The Transfer Station is open Friday and Saturday and closed on Easter Sunday.

The board noted that new permits are for sale at the Transfer Station.

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BlueStone Press, April 7, 2023 , Page 9

Rosendale Library answers frequently asked community questions tower vs. the cost of expanding the current library building?

A: We obtained preliminary estimates for the renovating the Belltower building and will eventually have plans and obtain estimates for renovating and expanding the current building.

Thomas Childers BSP reporter The Rosendale Library has shared the results of the Listening sessions they held in February. The shared document describes what the Library heard from the listening sessions and their answers to the community questions. Rosendale Library envisions for the future “a childrens’ room, more programs, more publicity about library events and services and a small and big meeting room.”

The BSP previously reported on one of these listening sessions where Ted Dixon said, “I know we are talking about thinking outside the box. I was wondering whether we are looking at having eight library locations [for different things] I don’t know how many libraries on the planet have eight different locations for the library. So in terms of thinking outside the box [is], maybe the thinking outside the box what we should do. What if the town didn’t have a library? I don’t think they would pick this site for a library. Because it wouldn’t work, so we should take away the emotional part of the building as opposed to doing it with emotions connected to saving the building. It's like having your grandma give you a house, and she had two kids, and you have fourteen kids it’s not going to work. You will move. You use it, and once it gets outdated you let it go. You are going to have non-fiction and one building and fiction in another. It’s just not a library.

It’s like a town building. It’s like having a police station with different buildings. If we think that way we may come up with ideas. I am thinking twenty years from, now thirty years from now, this won’t be a library.”

The Rosendale Library sees its value in promoting “lifelong learning, literacy, informed and educated citizens'' and being a “welcoming, free work/study space, that is intergenerational.” The Library also values its “community connections, learning and growth, recreation, creativity, and nature appreciation," the library said in a statement this week.

Ashley Sweeny, a Rosendale Town Councilmember, said at the previously reported session that she finds the Rosendale library “helpful for her when she has to help her children with school projects.”

The library also values its resources such as “computers, Wi-Fi, tech support, copy/ FAX/scanning/printing, new books, newspapers, audiobooks, eBooks, search and resume help, education support, notary services, and friendly helpful staff.” At the previously reported session, Jeanne Walsh,

Q: What are some possible grants for library construction?

A: There are some state grants that could possibly cover part of the cost of a new facility. The State Library Construction Grant funds were severely cut in this year’s governor’s budget. There are some other state economic development grants, which the library may or may not qualify for, depending on the scope of the project and the location. The library will aggressively pursue any and all grant opportunities.

The tulips are blooming at the library this week. Photo by Thomas Childers

the Rosendale Supervisor said, “Before becoming supervisor I enjoyed coming here and getting books with my cousins this was a play area used weekly, and nostalgia is there, and I am very attached to it. I admit as I got older and busier I did not come to the library as often especially when nooks came out.” The Library also values the experiences and activities it provides through “classes and workshops.”

The document states that the first challenge the Library faces is “one room can’t serve all the needs.” At the previously reported session Jeanne Walsh said, “I understand what you are saying for a large library that you are obviously going to have the resources to do that, but I also feel like the goal is to serve the public and you can do it in other ways. I don’t see any reason why the library can’t say this is a sponsored program by the library in town spaces. Maybe some programming should be in other spaces and not in the library.”

The challenges continue, with “parking, a dangerous exit of Central Ave. onto Main St., historic preservation, nostalgia and complacency.” Ken Hassett said at a listening session previously reported in the BSP, “I cannot separate the emotional attachment, that’s why I said think outside the box because we can do anything we want in today’s world if we just put our mind to it. There is a way to utilize this space, not necessarily this building only, but this whole space to get basically what we want. It won’t be a university library, and I don’t believe the library is responsible for providing every service and program there is because other entities and organizations

could do that. I can’t separate the emotions and a lot of people can’t and won’t.”

The most frequently asked questions, according to the Rosendale Library at the listening sessions and the responses from the Library Q: Can the basement be used for expansion?

A: No. Notwithstanding a very substantial investment in making the basement dry, during storms the basement gets wet.

Q: Can the library have programs off-site?

A: We have programs off-site for large crowds or nature education. The library’s regular weekly programs require the library staff to be present in the library building. Without hiring additional staff, we cannot send the library to other locations for programs. In addition, most of the library’s programs integrate with the library collections which are located in the library. A big part of children’s library programs involves parents and children borrowing stacks of books.

Q: What are the limitations placed on this building by the historic landmark status?

Can the building be changed or sold?

A: The building is on the state and national register of historic landmarks.

The appearance of the main part of the building cannot be altered. The rest of the building was constructed in the 1970s and can be altered. The building can be sold.

Q: What is the cost of renovating the Bell-

Q: How have other libraries addressed these needs?

A: Other libraries have expanded, renovated, or moved to a new building. Examples of local libraries that have undergone major construction projects in the recent past are: Esopus, Highland, New Paltz, Hurley, West Hurley, Stone Ridge, Saugerties and Phoenicia. Local libraries currently in the process of renovation or expanding or move are Kingston, Woodstock and Plattekill.

Q: Is there a possibility of creating more parking on a neighbor’s property or in the catchment basin or side of the road?

A: The library already approached a neighbor who said no to parking on their property. The catchment basin is not under the library’s jurisdiction.

Q: What are the environmental concerns, pros and cons, of expanding the current building vs. moving to a larger building?

A: Expanding this building will require new construction which will have more negative environmental impacts than moving to an existing larger building.

Q: What would happen to this building if the library moves?

A: If the library were to move and this building were sold, the library board has no way of knowing what the use of the current building would have in the future.

Q: What about Peter Buffet?

A: Rosendale falls outside of the NoVo Foundation’s focus area of Kingston, and the NoVo Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

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Memoriam Karen E. McSpirit

STONE RIDGE—Karen E. McSpirit died on March 25, 2023 at her home. She was 72. She was born in Kingston July 6, 1950 a daughter of Josephine Argulewicz Naccarato and the late Louis Naccarato.

She was a lifelong area resident and had resided in Stone Ridge for the past 49 years. She was a 1968 graduate of Kingston High School and graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 1972. Karen had been employed by the Rondout Valley Central School District and had worked as a Teaching McSpirit Assistant at Rondout Middle School until her retirement in 2019. Karen enjoyed her home and flower gardens, spending time with her family and friends and her occasional trips to casinos. She especially enjoyed the sleepovers with her grandchildren. In addition to her mother of Saugerties, Karen is survived by her husband of 50 years, Richard J. McSpirit; her daughter Kristy Mannocchi (Fred) of Hurley; her son Richard McSpirit III of High Falls; and two grandchildren Anastasia and Sasha Mannocchi.

She is also survived by two brothers, Joseph Naccarato of NC and Louis Naccarato of Saugerties, and several nieces and nephews. A son, Ryan McSpirit died in 2005.

Visitation for family and friends was at the George J. Moylan Funeral Home Inc., Rosendale on March 29, was the following day, at the funeral home. Rev. Miroslaw Pawlaczyk officiated. Interment followed at Montrepose Cemetery in Kingston. The family suggest memorial donation to Muscular Dystrophy Association mda.donordrive.com/DonateTo leave a personal condolence for her family please visit www.GJMoylanFuneralHome.com

Robert J. Keagle

ACCORD—Robert J. Keagle died March 24, 2023 at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie. He was 78. He was born in Hazelton, PA on October 29, 1944, a son of the late Robert F. and Helen Zola Keagle. An area resident for many years Bob was a teacher/administrator for the Rondout Valley Central School District retiring in 2002. He worked for the Onteora School District for another year, retiring in 2003. Bob was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed fishing and hunting. He was a member Keagle of the Kyserike Gun Club, Rondout Valley Sportsman's Club and the Lake Katrine Rod and Gun Club. Bob had also been a member of the Accord Fire Department where he once served as President. He was a 4H Club Leader and a founding member of the Town of Rochester Youth Commission.

Bob was active in the Marbletown Reformed Church serving in many capacities including Elder and Deacon.

Bob is survived by his wife of 55 years Patricia Keagle, a daughter Aimee Dibernardo (Fred) of New Paltz, a son Brion Keagle (Pamela) of Hubbardston, MA, and a sister Judith Fisher of Panton, VT. Also survived by 5 grandchildren Abby, Cameron (Gig), Kathryn, Noah, Logan, two nephews Justin and Christopher and several other extended family members. In addition to his parents, a brother Jack Keagle died previously. His funeral was March 29 at the Marbletown Reformed Church, Rev. Charles Stickley officiated. Interment followed at the Whitfield Cemetery, Accord. George J. Moylan Funeral Home Inc., Rosendale assisted the family with arrangements. The family suggests memorial donations to the Marbletown Reformed Church, (Memo - Organ Restoration Fund), PO Box 63, Stone Ridge, NY 12484 or to Kyserike Gun Club, c/o Jay Martin, PO Box 275, Accord, NY 12404. To leave a personal condolence for his family please visit www.GJMoylanFuneralHome.com

Katheryn L. Lott

STONE RIDGE--After a lengthy battle with cancer, Katheryn Lott passed away peacefully March 19, 2023, while in hospice care in Lady Lake, FL; she was surrounded by love from her family. She was 69. Kathy was born on Dec. 27, 1953, in Ellenville; the daughter of Betty Every Stokes of Stone Ridge and the late Lester “Buster” Stokes. She graduated from Rondout Valley Central School, and then served in the US Marine Corps. January 1, 1975 – August 29, 1977. Kathy spent most of her adult Lott life working as a dedicated employee at IHOP and was treasured by all.

Kathy loved her horses, especially Annie; she treasured Elvis Presley and often traveled with friends and family to Memphis. She enjoyed NASCAR and often went to Daytona with family to cheer on her favorite driver. Most recently Kathy was a regular attendee at the junior golf tournaments where she proudly supported her talented grandson, Brantley Flannery. She loved her grandsons Brantley and Blaine more than life itself. Kathy will be sadly missed by so many; however, she will always remain in the hearts of those who loved her, and that infectious laugh will forever be heard. In addition to her mother, Betty Stokes of Stone Ridge, she is survived by her son, Michael Lott of MD, her siblings, Larry Stokes of Cottekill, Susan Tillson and Ricky Stokes of Stone Ridge.

She is also survived by her loving companion, Eugene Terwilliger, of FL; his daughters, Katrina Terwilliger and Kari Flannery; Kyle; and grandsons, Brantley and Blaine Flannery. She is also survived by nieces and nephews, Shannon Stokes and Steven of DE, Krista and Patrick of Kerhonkson, David and Heather Stokes, Shaun and Tanya Stokes, Larry Stokes Jr., Christopher Decker, and Brandon Pra, all of Accord, Lisa Larkin of AZ, Stephanie Stokes of Kingston, and Tonya Stokes of Kerhonkson.

Kathy was predeceased by her brothers, Donald Stokes, Jeffrey Stokes, and sister Cynthia Stokes. She was cremated in Lady Lake, FL. A celebration of Kathy’s life will take place on a future date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to The American Cancer Society or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (stjude.org) 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. (www.GJMoylanFuneralHome.com)

Oscar Eugene “Gene” Keogan

Stone Ridge—Oscar Eugene “Gene” Keogan, 92, of Stone Ridge, NY died on Thursday March 30, 2023 in West Chester, PA. Gene was born on May 28, 1930 in the town of Thompson in Sullivan County, New York. He was the son of Nial and Nancy Keogan. As a youth, he worked on the local farms, milking cows before school, to help support his parents.

With the building of the Rondout Reservoir, the family was displaced from their home in Lackawack and moved to Kripplebush and then Stone Ridge.

Keogan Gene attended Kingston High School and enjoyed running track and singing in the choir. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corp where he served from 1951-1954 and earned numerous medals and honors. Following an honorable discharge, Gene returned to Stone Ridge where he lived until 2021. For 33 years, Gene worked as a laborer for the City of New York, maintaining the grounds of the Ashokan Reservoir, the largest reservoir to supply drinking water for New York City. He was proud of the work he did and enjoyed driving heavy equipment. He also maintained the properties for several local neighbors. In his spare time, Gene participated in a bowling league and, for many years, sang with the choir at Redeemer Lutheran Church as well as with the Kingston High School Alumni Choir. He was a member of the Vly Sportsman Club and a lifelong avid deer hunter who proudly displayed two deer heads in his living room. With his military training, he could sit perfectly still for hours in the woods while hunting. On October 7, 1956, Gene married Beverly Hooker. They had both attended Kingston High School together, but only began dating after Gene returned from Korea. Their son, Paul, was born ten years later. Gene was a proud father who was involved in his son’s activities. He and Paul enjoyed fishing in the Ashokan Reservoir and the two ponds flanking their property. As a lifelong resident of the area, Gene was a wealth of knowledge. More importantly, he was a wonderful, caring neighbor and friend who loved to meet people, share stories, and was always willing to lend a helping hand. Gene was a proud member of the Stone Ridge Fire Company (SRFC) for over 65 years. He formed a strong bond with his fellow firefighters, and, long after he was retired from active duty, would regularly attend monthly meetings where he (and Bev) would provide supper for the crew. One of Gene’s greatest joys was being Santa at the SRFC for over five decades and making Christmastime special for hundreds of children over the years. Gene had a great sense of humor, loved to

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laugh, and especially play pranks. His handshake could break fingers. He took pride in his large and bountiful vegetable garden, the beautiful flowers he planted all around his property, and the four foot tall windmill in front of his house that he meticulously maintained.

Gene was an avid reader and loved learning about new inventions and all forms of transportation. Annual traditions were making maple syrup, canning horseradish, growing huge pumpkins, and proudly marching in the Memorial Day parades. Gene loved birdwatching and feeding the birds and caring for Fur, a beloved stray cat that he fed every day for over ten years. Gene is survived

by Beverly, his wife of 66 years, his son Paul, daughterin-law Martina and two granddaughters, Brianna and Kira. Family was everything to Gene and he was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather who will be deeply missed. Visitation for family and friends was at the George J. Moylan Funeral Home, Rosendale.

His funeral was April 4 at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Kingston. Interment with Military Honors followed at the Fairview Cemetery, Stone Ridge. The family suggests memorial donations to the Stone Ridge Fire Company, 525 Cottekill Rd, Stone Ridge, NY 12484 or Redeemer Lutheran Church, 104 Wurts St, Kingston, NY 12401

Tina Fields

ELLENVILLE—It is with heavy hearts we say farewell to a special person. Tina Fields, 61, passed away on Friday March 10, 2023, after a long battle with cancer.

Tina lived in Ellenville, NY where she was loved and cared for over 40 years. She was a kind person filled with great joy. Tina loved singing, laughing, dancing, tickling, being outdoors, and was adventurous. She gave the most affectionate hugs and a pat on the back if you deserved it. For those who cared for Tina, her smile and sense of humor will be greatly missed. Tina, your passing has left many broken hearts, and we will always remember how much you have made an impact on our lives. May you dance with the angels. Her funeral service was March 23 at the George J. Moylan Funeral Home Inc., Rosendale.

Rev. Kevin Malick officiated. Interment wsat Montrepose Cemetery in Kingston.

John M. Terranova Jr.

KERHONKSON—John M. Terranova, Jr. passed away on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. He was 37. John was born on July 1, 1985 in Brooklyn, NY; he was the son of John M. Terranova Sr. and the late Wendy (Altman) Terranova. John graduated from Rondout Valley High School in 2004. He was an avid gamer and had a great sense of humor. Fondly called a giant teddy bear by his family and friends. John was someone who was willing to do anything to help another person. He will be deeply missed.

In addition to his father, John is survived by his sisters, Victoria Terranova and Marissa Smith as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Cremation will be held privately. A memorial service will be celebrated at a later date. Personal condolences may be left for John’s family by visiting www.humistonfuneralhome.com

Joan I. Avery Allen

KERHONKSON—Joan I. Avery Allen passed away March 17, 2023 at the age of 88. Joan was born on March 2, 1935 in Lomontville, the daughter of the late Raymond and Mary Elizabeth (Houghtaling) Terwilliger. A lifelong resident of the area, Joan loved camping and couldn’t go past a yard sale without stopping. She loved butterflies, birds and collecting knickknacks. Joan was predeceased by her first husband Myron Avery Sr. in 1994. She was remarried to Robert Allen and nothing meant more to her than being with her family. She is survived by her daughter, Gwen Smith, and by her sons Myron and Mitchell Avery. Also surviving are seven grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, and 15 great-great grandchildren; and her sisters, Ruthann Fassbender and Betty Temple. Joan was predeceased by her sisters Margaret Weber and Harriet Weber.A memorial graveside service was celebrated on April 1, 2023 at Palentown Cemetery, Kerhonkson.

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April 7, 2023

Page 11

High Falls Cafe puts down new roots in Northern Marbletown Same fresh food, same great music, same familiar faces, new location Chelsea Miller BSP Reporter The High Falls Café has been a staple of the local food and music scene for the past 18 years and on March 1, after a two month hiatus, reopened their doors in North Marbletown in a building of their very own.

The origin story of the High Falls Café begins in Bergen County, NJ, where both Buffy and Brian hail from. The pair met while they were both in high school. At the time, Brian was working at the same restaurant as Buffy’s mother (who was a waitress for 50 years) and she recalls first noticing Brian’s “smiley eyes.” After high school, Buffy headed to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), while Brian headed decidedly more North to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). It was through the CIA that the couple got to know the area. “My grandparents were lovers of Mohonk and New Paltz, so as a kid I spent a lot time up here. Then, when Brian was in the CIA, we obviously spent a lot of time here”, explains Buffy. “I always loved it here–I always had my feel for the Catskills.” After their respective graduations, the couple returned to New Jersey, however, and continued to find their way back to the area, visiting with a dear friend who had settled in Tillson. Years later, when an opportunity to cook at the Main Street Bisto came about through a friend, the couple decided to make the leap.

“Brian was a chef at the Cornell medical club in Manhattan, we had three small children and it was around 9/11. We just decided to go for it”, says Buffy. They began their house search in the area guided by local friends who were also teachers that recommended the Rondout Valley School District and eventually settled in Stone Ridge.

In 2005, the spirit of timing, chance and change once again struck. While commuting back and forth between their home in Stone Ridge and New Paltz to work, Brian couldn’t help but notice a vacant store front on Main Street in High Falls. Former home to the Clove Café, the empty space piqued his interest. “Brian came home one day and said, ‘We’ve always wanted to open our place.

Let’s just call,’” recalls Buffy. “And we called. We took the plunge.” The initial plan was to meet what they saw as a

It takes a family to make restaurant goers feel like family! From right to left: Danny McClintock,Casey, Brian, Buffy, Jaime and Patrick Gribbon

need in the area; a solid breakfast and lunch spot. It also felt like a logical move coming from the Main Street Bistro, where Brian was known for his breakfast. Buffy insists that to this day you will not find someone that can make a better hollandaise sauce than Brian. “He’s really a saucier at heart,” laughs Buffy. “And that really comes through in his breakfast and his homemade salad dressings, sauces and soups.”

By the end of their first summer, they decided to add dinner service.

“Brian had worked at Windows of the World, as well as a stint at Tavern on the Green – so he had a lot of fine dining experience,” says Buffy. She continues, “But we always loved the family feel of a bar and grill, so we decided that was what we wanted to be, a comfortable place, a place where we would want to go.” The music that the café has become known for naturally evolved, says Buffy. When they rented the apartment above the restaurant to Fred Borzumato, with him came his blues band. There was immediate traction and an acoustic Thursday was added.

From there, says Buffy, it all snowballed. “We started meeting all these local musicians on Acoustic Thursdays and if we liked them, we’d try to book their band. What we

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found was that there was a need for live music in the area for it all just came together.”

Flash forward to 2012: The High Falls Café was booming, and Buffy and Brian knew they were outgrowing the space. The systems of the building itself couldn’t handle the volume of their business. At the time, there was no one running the restaurant at Stone Dock, and often the golfers would end up at the High Falls Café after a day on the green. “The golfers kept asking us to move down to the golf course,” says Buffy, “and we did, and we were there for 11 years.”

A lot happened in those 11 years. Children grew up.

Hundreds of bands played. Countless eggs benedict (or some delicious spin on the dish) were served. “One of the greatest joys in a small community is watching the people who work for us grow up, and the community of our regular customers,” says Buffy. “One of my waitresses who started working with us at 14 is now expecting her second [child]. And customers have become true friends, the photo collage near the door just keeps growing.” And all that growing, led to another crossroads; after 18 years of renting, they were ready to own. Buffy says part of the decision was tied to a sense of creating a legacy for their children. “Our children are in the business with us and we foresee that they want to keep it going,” says Buffy. “We really wanted to have the legacy of a place that was truly our own.” With a Marbletown location as their north star, Buffy and Brian began scouting our possible buildings.

In December of 2022, they officially closed on the new building, which while it has a Kingston mailing address, is decidedly in, as Buffy says, “North Marbletown.”

First up was a kitchen overhaul. The kitchen was cleaned and painted so that after their final day at Stone Dock (which was January 1), they could move the entire

See High Falls Cafe, page 14

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Page 12

Athletics, recreation & fitness

April 7, 2023

Connor Slinsky signs letter of intent to play lacrosse at Robert’s Wesleyan University in the fall. Photo by Randi Chase. On right, Rondout Valley Youth lacrosse players J.P Mead, Kevin Roosa and Mason Beatty on the first night of practice, Photo by Lorissa Beatty

Youth lacrosse thrives, as Senior lacrosse player Connor Slinsky signs letter of intent Jeff Slater BSP reporter A Youth program for lacrosse has started its season. The groups of children are for grades 3 and 4 and grades 5 and 6. A program for K-2 is being planned as well as a program for girls next year. The team practices at the Babe Ruth field in Kerhonkson on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The team is coached by Myron Baker Jr. “This program is so impressive and teaches our youth the basic fundamentals to feed our Middle and High School lacrosse teams,” said Lorissa Beatty, a parent.

Baker said, “I’ve been coaching—I hold a USA lacrosse coaches license for lacrosse for 10 years. I get help from friends who

Area women’s ice hockey team wins April Showers Tournament The Saugerties Nightmares, a recreational women’s hockey team, known to include gals from High Falls to Rhinecliff, of all ages, 18-69, took first place in the April Showers Tournament, held March 31-April 2, at Nashoba Valley Olympia Ice Rink in Boxborough, MA, and was sponsored by the New England Women’s Hockey League.

The Nightmares took on the Mother Puckers of Belmont, MA in Game 1 of the competition, winning 5-1 with two goals

by Katie Baxter, and Tina Dierna, Sarah

have played lacrosse and are interested in coaching. Coach Ferrigan, who played D2 in college, assists me and coach Greco, who is coaching Rondout varsity this year, and has coached with me for 10 years.

He played D1 in college. We welcome all students from Rondout and students from other areas that don’t have a program.

Ours is a feeder program for Rondout lacrosse and almost all students on the schools’ teams: 7th, 8th, 9th graders and varsity have played in our program.

“We play games against other youth programs. New Paltz, Saugerties, Kingston, Warwick and Highland, to name a few.

“We are working on ground balls, passing, catching and shooting as well as footwork for attack men and defensemen and goalies as well. We also work on teamwork

Hamil and Emile Hauser each scoring one. Game 2 was a close 4-3 win over the Midnight Mustangs, Medford, MA which went to a shootout. Baxter was on fire, scoring two goals during regulation and one in the shootout. Emily Seawall had a goal in regular play and Cheryl Kranick added one in the shootout. Game 3 was another nailbiter with a 3-2 shootout win over the Outlaws of Upton, MA with Baxter and Seawall, each with a goal in regulation, and Seawall with the game winner in the shootout. In the final championship round, the Saugerties were dominant with a 5-0 win over the Midnight Mustangs with goals by Baxter, Seawall, Sara Wright, Hamil, and Captain Tina Dierna. Goalie Amy Montalbano earned the shutout in the victory.

The Nightmares will host their annual May Melt Tournament, May 5-7, at their home rink, Kiwanis Ice Arena in Saugerties.

and positive attitudes toward each other as well as parents and other players.

“I got my start from Coach Tocco, who was my earth science teacher. I never played lacrosse but he introduced me to it and my oldest son who plays varsity wanted to play it back in Kindergarten so I needed to learn the game. I got my level 2 USA lacrosse coaching license and certificate through the program under coach Tocco and he asked me two years ago to take over. Both my sons play one is a varsity defenseman and the other is a 5/6 goalie.

“I think this program is amazing and with the help of Lorissa Beatty and Debbie Goodman it will only get better, and the support from Jill Mclean. Our future is going to include a girl’s program and a travel

program. We’d like to travel outside our local area and to other states to play.”

In other lacrosse news, Rondout Valley High School Senior, Connor Slinsky, recently signed a letter of intent to play lacrosse at Roberts Wesleyan University, located in Rochester, NY, in the fall.

Slinsky, both a student athlete and scholar, has committed to the Division 2 program and will be joining the Redhawks for the 2023-24 season. Former varsity lacrosse coach, Anthony Tocco said, “Connor is an outstanding player, leader and teammate. The character he demonstrates will carry him through his future seasons as a lacrosse player, but more importantly as a person.”

Congratulations Connor! Go Ganders!

The Saugerties Nightmares, a recreational women’s hockey team

BlueStone Press, April 7, 2023 , Page 13

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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 7, 2023

Let’s hope April Showers can wash away those March winds!

(It’s been brutal)

Kanope, a free service at our public library To the Editor: It always amazes me when someone says they've never heard of Kanope. In case you're one of those, it's a free service of our public library. We're each entitled to four movies a month which you can cast from your computer to your TV (ask a kid how to do that). Of course, you have to register with your library card. (what!

No library card?! Did you know that that the free lending of books was an American inspiration?)

Anyway, go to your library website (such as stoneridgelibrary.org), click on Books and more, then below on the red word Kanope, enter your library card number and set up a password. Now you can either browse through their hundreds of movies or list your choice next to the magnifying glass (which signifies Search). What a brilliant idea those Puritans had! Free books and now free movies!

ViVi Hlavsa Lomontville

Thank you to our community heroes To the Editor: Help can’t wait when emergencies strike—whether it’s for the family huddled on the street after a home fire, the patient needing a blood transfusion, or the military member deployed during a family crisis.

Local American Red Cross volunteers, blood donors and supporters provide relief and hope, helping to ensure that our neighbors never face these and countless other crises alone.

The Red Cross mission would not be possible without these community heroes, and we honor their dedication during our 80th annual Red Cross Month celebration in March.

High Falls Cafe from page 11 kitchen. After that, the important work of making the space feel like the High Falls Café began. “The most important thing was that it was the High Falls Café when you walked in the door,” says Buffy. “We knew we were taking over a longstanding business, but we wanted to make sure that the space really felt like us. Now that we are open, the biggest complement is when customers walk in the door for the first time and say that it feels exactly like the High Falls Café.” To get it to feel like the High Falls Café, it took a village. The space was opened up, the ceilings raised and a generous horseshoe bar installed. “We are so thankful to all who helped us move and renovate. There are too many people to mention but we are forever grateful to all who helped. It was an old fashion ‘Bar Raising,’” smiles Buffy.

Initially they had hoped to be open by the Superbowl.

However, their first official day open was March 1.

In the past 12 months, volunteers in the Hudson Valley responded to nearly 170 home fires to provide comfort and support to displaced families; provided about 1,200 case services to help members of the military, veterans and their families prepare for and cope with the challenges of military service; enrolled over 11,000 people in CPR, first aid, water safety and other lifesaving skills; and collected more than 9,800 units of blood from volunteer donors to support area hospitals and patients in need.

The Hudson Valley Chapter is proud to serve communities in Columbia, Greene, Dutchess, Ulster, Orange and Putnam counties.

Local volunteers also deployed to regions throughout the country to help in communities impacted by large-scale disasters like Hurricane Ian and the Western Wildfires.

On behalf of those we serve, we thank everyone who makes our lifesaving work possible. You can join in their commitment by visiting redcross.org to make a financial donation, schedule an appointment to give blood or platelets, become a Red Cross volunteer or take a class to

Lovers of the High Falls Café, fear not. Buffy says the menu has stayed the same and all food is homemade— down to the salad dressings and soups–and made fresh to order. Buffy continues to eschew food services, sourcing the ingredients herself to ensure that they are working with the freshest ingredients possible. The new space came with a pizza oven, which Buffy says they, and their chef Jess Fallon, are having fun experimenting with and says, while becoming a pizzeria is not in their future she anticipates adding some fun Italian menu items like stromboli or garlic knots down the road. Despite the move, Buffy says that they continue to work to keep their prices low. “We always want to be a local family friendly place. We don’t want to be unreachable for the average person. We want be a place where anyone can come and get something that is going to make them happy.”

Buffy says the absolute best part of reopening has been seeing everyone again, both employees and customers.

“Other than the three people that we just hired, the shortest time frame that our core employees have been with us is five years and we have two that have been with us

learn lifesaving skills.

John Vale Executive Director, American Red Cross, Hudson Valley New York

Marbletown Community Center To the Editor: It would be a sad thing to see the Marbletown Community Center in Stone Ridge disbanded and sold – with the idea that its purpose could easily be 'transferred' to the Municipal Town Hall on Lucas Avenue. Whilst functional, the Municipal Town Hall is impersonal with its classroom/school type setting. Its atmosphere will never replace the welcoming and congenial ambiance of our current community center. As a Stone Ridge resident I value the historical significance of the 1864 building, but also its centralized and accessible location in town.

Claudine Brenner Stone Ridge

basically from the very beginning. We treat them like family, and they are our family. That’s important to us. The two months that we were closed were hard on us all—we all missed it! Believe it or not we were pacing around just waiting to serve people again.” And employees aren’t the only ones who have been with Buffy and Brian from the very beginning. “We have so many customers who have been with us since our original location and we want the new location to be a place we can all call home,” says Buffy. “What stands us apart other than the food, is really the people, staff, family, community, customers, like the Cheers effect, everyone wants to go somewhere where ‘everyone knows your name.’ We are so thankful for the community support in our first month re-open we are so happy to be back!”

The High Falls Café is located in North Marbletown at 2842 Route 209 and open every day except for Sunday. To learn more, visit http://www.highfallscafe.com, call (845) 687-2699 or stop in and say hello.

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

EMAIL: BLUESTONEPRESS845@GMAIL.COM • SNAILMAIL: BLUESTONE PRESS, PO BOX 149, STONE RIDGE

BlueStone Press, April 7, 2023 , Page 15

Freebird Dear Wally: I am writing to inquire about how I get my biography featured on the inside page of the BSP. I have lived in the Hudson valley for many years, most of it out of police custody on my own recognizance. I am a committed composter and free-furniture picker-upper, and at 59 years young, I feel that I am at the height of my powers.

Of service to the community, I routinely drag dead deer carcasses off our highways, which, as you know, is nearly a full-time job in itself. A great supporter of public education as well, I buy wide arrays of state Lotto tickets at Stewart’s, but I am also quite active in the homeschool movement, teaching elementary stick-whittling to the children of anti-VAXers from New York City.

I oppose all invasive Wally Nichols Otherwise, species with enthusiasm. Clover and Canadian geese, that means you! As a small business owner, I have also been far ahead of the curve on the local cultivation of sun-raised cannabis. Support our farmers!!!

After the big bust on Lapla road a few years ago, you can

see that it’s my right boot at the edge of the Freeman picture of an unidentified man fleeing into the cornfield, not 50 feet ahead of Johnny Law. (And how my wife used to taunt me, saying things like, “honey, do you hear the sound of helicopters?”) But my agricultural life is largely behind me now —I’m working on getting the family van— my mobile dispensary —up and running, despite these out-of-state lawsuits holding up my application. My BSP portrait continues to elude me. What more can I do? PS: And don’t tell me to get a respectable office job because I won’t work in no cage.

—Freebird

Rochester

First Aid Squad dinner as a "gift.”

In a second change, the word “indirect” was removed from the section about having family members or close friends in a "direct or indirect" supervisor or subordinate relationship. “In a small town you may have members of the same family working in the same department," Baden said, meaning that it is a situation that often arises.

Comment was generally negative, mostly on the second of the changes. Bea Haugen Depuy said, “This type of thing does not work… there is a conflict of interest all the time.” She talked about a past situation she'd experienced in which “things went unnoticed on purpose," to the point that another employee got fired. “I don’t want to see this happen again. It’s very bad for the town… I don’t care if it’s direct or indirect.”

The next to speak was Sam Zarofsky. “I’m married to Erin [Enouen, town board member] and I’m also head of the ZBA [Zoning Board of Appeals]. I have serious concerns about this law… your original law was designed to prevent conflict of interest or the appearance of conflict of interest... I think if you look at ethics laws in small towns throughout the state, I think that you will find that this provision is universally applauded.” The reason, he said, is that it’s impossible to imagine people in any kind of personal relationship completely avoiding the appearance of getting or giving special favors. “On top of that, I’m concerned about the board appearing unethical," because the board appears to be changing the law just so a certain individual may be hired. “I am bothered by that. If this came out of some kind of holistic review of the ethics law and this was one of many recommendations—maybe.

But to change one word, presumably to hire a specific person, that doesn’t appear ethical. I don’t want to accuse anyone of being unethical, but it doesn’t look good. The town board has an obligation to avoid the appearance of unethical [actions].”

Gerry Fornino related being a candidate for supervisor and being approached by people in the same party for support in being hired by the town for a couple of jobs.

“I made it clear that that would never happen. And I’ve stood by it myself. When asked if I would run for town justice, I said not while there’s another member of the family on the town board [wife Cindy Fornino]. We had a situation when I worked in Goshen,” he went on, where a supervisor was married to another employee. “The scuttlebutt around the office was why 'somebody' didn’t have to work Christmas Eve."

Dear Wally

from page 3 appreciation.” Besides renters, people who live outside the town’s borders and people whose name is not on the deed of the house they live in also deserve a benefit, he said. "I would urge the town to pass this legislation… but also… let’s think of other potential ways to reward those volunteers who don’t benefit from it. For instance, the town gives a discount at the transfer station to first responders. Perhaps there could be a further discount for [those folks]. Discounts on youth programs.”

After everyone had their say, Baden responded. “We have done all that NYS allows us to do… I agree that renters are not [benefitted] but we have to follow NYS real property tax law. I have reached out to our state senator about these issues, and… he has not returned my phone calls.” (The state Assembly member promised to bring it up for debate.) He listed the benefits that do exist which are not dependent on owning property. NY State, and soon also Ulster County and possibly the Rondout school district, offers a small rebate for firefighters and EMTs. “We will continue to lobby our state representatives and we ask that you do the same. We can only respond to what they pass as legislation.”

Town clerk Kate Gundberg added, “You really do have strength in numbers. Lobby Albany, because that’s where the change is going to be made. And I can pretty much guarantee that the town board will support it."

Later on, the board had a discussion on what people had said, all agreeing to make a commitment to finding ways they can get some more perks for volunteers. They then voted to pass the law. It will go into effect when the next round of property tax exemption applications are due, which would be March 1, 2024.

A second public hearing on April 3 was about amending the town's ethics law. Baden explained the proposed changes.

Sizeable gifts to town employees could be construed as an attempt to gain influence “in the performance of their official duties," as the current law states. The upper limit of $25 that a town employee may accept as a gift would be changed to $75, to be in line with a state law that has been on the books for years, Baden said. He gave the example of board members being invited to a Kerhonkson Accord

Dear Freebird- The rich irony is that my column (where your misdirected PR reach out has landed because I have no power to ‘front cover’ you), usually ends up housebreaking dogs and parakeets. So you say you won’t ‘work in no cage’ but, sir, yes you will! Because here you are. In my column and soon to be in a cage.

I love that your wife taunts you with the thwapping spook of law enforcement helicopter blades. My kinda gal, and I say, “Brava!!” That must be more fun for her than indoor go kart racing or fall pickling.

My misread had you a committed composer. Here I am thinking, Wow! We have a symphonic influencer amongst us! Must be incredible to hear 25 musical voices

at once. But maybe the right canni-bus blend does that too? My bad. Still, good for you for composting. Feature worthy? I dunno. But maybe. And thank you for pulling dead deer off the road ways. Yes, a full time job stuffed in the cracks of your richly lived days.

You sound like a gem of a community member so it is my pleasure and honor to celebrate your eccentric self and contributory communal efforts by memorializing you with column ink, even if it’s a long walk to the front cover. (n.b. no picture was submitted so I might have to stick figure draw you).

Keep loving us community members, and to the extent you can, stay out of jail- they don’t deserve you like we do! That said, do something jailworthy and you’ll probably get that front-page placement (and a few more pesky lawsuits).

Piece of advice? Go get a Ph.D and teach. Methinks you have a lot to say!

Proud to call you neighbor.

-Wally P.S.: sometimes “free furniture’ isn’t as free as it seems, know what I mean??

Got a question for our advice columnist? Email him at cwn4@aol.com

Rebecca Collins Brooks, a local farmer, commented, "I’m actually against increasing the size of gifts, no matter what the state limit is… Isn’t $25 enough? Buy a candle!”

On the subject of integrity, she told an anecdote about having a couple of board members over for a dinner to discuss the impact of some zoning proposals on large landowners. She and her husband raise Wagyu beef cattle. “When they left, I offered each of those board members a package of ground beef, which they politely refused. Barton and I both agreed how much integrity was shown by those two people. We may not always agree politically with those two, but we have an enormous amount of respect for them.”

Susan Bruck summed up what the others had expressed, saying, “I think it’s very important when we’re talking about ethics to keep as many protections in place ... and not remove them, because it’s a matter of integrity … I am strongly urging the board not to remove those protections.”

Other news of interest Earth Day is April 22, and Rochester's Board Environmental Conservation Commission has been active on multiple fronts, said board member and ECC liaison Erin Enouen. “I am pleased to report how much they’re doing!” she exclaimed. The ECC is "co-sponsoring" an Earth Day tree planting, “an educational event” with a talk by a butterfly expert. The monthly Third Thursday Zoom talk will be on Clean Energy Investing, at 7 p.m. on April 20.

You can go to the TOR ECC Facebook page to get the links to both events.

And at the transfer station, “We did our first plastic bag collection event. The ECC took it over from the community center. It went really well. We got two whole boxes filled to the brim with plastic. That’ll be the first Saturday of every month from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and I will probably be there for some of that time, because it’s really fun! So if anyone else from the public wants to volunteer, I would say it’s one of the most fun volunteer things to do.”

Enouen introduced a resolution to have Rochester declared a Pollinator Pathway chapter. Pollinator Pathway is a national organization devoted to promoting pesticide-free corridors for the benefit of birds and insects.

There is no cost to being an official member; the resolution was passed.

WE MISSED YOU THIS ISSUE. Your letter to the editor is one of our readers’ favorite sections!

Email: bluestonepress845@gmail.com Snailmail: BlueStone Press, PO Box 149, Stone Ridge

Your friends and community

Page 16

April 7, 2023

A chance to sing, dance and create, inspired by the plight of the Bobolink bird Jeff Slater BSP reporter On June 24 a program is going to be available to families and the public at the Mohonk Preserve.

It is the brainchild of Jill Obrig, a local artist and retired Rondout art teacher," she said. “Families will create masks, costumes and then the props, plus learn to dance, becoming the bird the Bobolink during its migration with a performance for the public to view! I believe it’s the first of its kind.”

The idea proposed to the Mohonk Preserve came from a brainstorming session between Obrig and Laura Borer, Education Coordinator at the preserve, and from viewing Jon Bowermaster’s film, “Wonders of Bobolink,” which was filmed right here in the Hudson Valley.

“When Jill first approached me with the idea of doing an art-based program on birds here at the Mohonk Preserve, I immediately loved the idea,” said Bober. “We brainstormed the idea and came up with this idea of highlighting a species that migrates to our region. The Bobolink is an amazing bird that migrates over 12,000 miles every year from South America back to their breeding grounds in North America including the Hudson valley. Mohonk Preserve is one of many locations in the Hudson Valley where they nest. You can walk the carriage roads around the Testimonial gateway and hear there distinctive metallic and bubbly calls and catch a glimpse of the males who often perch on fences and shrubs. What better way to educate families than through a hands-on art and theater project.”

“The Bobolink left this area when the farms on the Hurley Flats grew corn, which grows very tall,” contin-

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Poster designed by local artist, Stephen Shiraz who is Jill Obrig’s husband.

ued Obrig. “Bobolinks create nests and hatch babies in low growing green plants. The Hudson Valley Farm Hub was asked a few years ago if it could take a portion of its acres and grow low growing plants. They did and last year Bobolink pairs showed up! This was such a good story to me that I decided we would do a migration ‘dance’ of the Bobolinks and through the dance and illustrate one of the challenges these birds have when they migrate. The Bobolinks migrate from the Hurley Flats to Argentina and fly over the ocean.”

Obrig hopes this project will raise public awareness about the plight of the bird population and its challenges

with migrating.

“We are taking down its habitats with human growth and we need to help the Bobolinks and so many other birds, with keeping their migratory paths intact. Imagine you are migrating all day and you are hungry and tired and get to be what you think is your destination where you can eat and rejuvenate for the next day’s flight,” Obrig said. “When you get there, all the trees are gone and the food you can get is gone as well. This is what is killing our migratory birds, habitat destruction and unbridled construction.”

In terms of the event, “We will be creating our Bobolink masks and props on June 24 and then we’ll rehearse and will do our performance for the public at 4 p.m.

People are encouraged to bring their whole family for an afternoon of fun and creativity. I’m hoping for three generations of each family to participate in some capacity, whether it’s mask making, prop painting or just being in the audience. We will be performing in the Slingerland Pavilion. There’s a small fee for the whole family to attend,” Obrig added.

“Anyone who participates in this workshop will surely take home a better appreciation for these birds and the need to conserve their breeding grounds,” said Bober.

People can register and get information about the event at the link below.

Bobolink Migration Art and Theater Workshop at www. mohonkpreserve.org And to view Jon Bowermasters’ film, go to https://vimeo.com/569657044.

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BlueStone Press, January 6, 2022, Page 17

Kudos

The top two students in Rondout Valley High School’s Class of 2023, Salutatorian Marley Pileggi (left) and Valedictorian Isabel Kinsella (right), with Principal Jessica Torok.

Gander Valedictorian Isabel Kinsella and Salutatorian Marley Pileggi The Rondout Valley Central School District announced that the Valedictorian for the Class of 2023 is Isabel Kinsella, and this year’s Salutatorian is Marley Pileggi. Both students excelled not only in academics, but also in a wide range of extracurricular activities.

Kinsella, the daughter of Kieran Kinsella and Giselle Potter of Rosendale achieved a grade point average (GPA) of 100.86. During her time at Rondout Valley High School (RVHS), she has participated in Mock Trial and Newcomers Uplifted, was a member of the Student Congress and the Math Team and contributed articles and graphic art to the school newspaper, ouRVoice. Captain of the Varsity Cross-Country team during her senior year, she earned trips to the New York State Cross Country Championship in 2021 and 2022 and served as vice president of the National Honor Society.

Kinsella credits her parents and sister with helping her to become more self-motivated. She described herself as a perfectionist and said she admires her sister’s adventurous spirit and her more relaxed approach to life. “She inspires me to get out and do things the way she does,” she said. When speaking of her mother, who is an illustrator and author, and her father, a woodworker, Kinsella said, “Both are artists and inspire me to keep creating.” She enjoys drawing, painting, making collages and whittling in her spare time.

Among her favorite educators at RVHS was English teacher Joseph Reeder, who frequently shared magazine articles with her. Although she was only in Reeder’s class for freshman year, she had frequently eaten lunch in his classroom. “He has always been a nice person to talk to.”

She also had high praise for Spanish teacher Victoria Robertson. “She’s such a great teacher and person,” said Kinsella, and explained that Robertson helped keep her organized and on track so she could accomplish everything she needed to do. “She inspired my love of the language and made learning it fun.”

While expressing gratitude to the supportive Rondout Valley community as a whole, Kinsella was particularly grateful for the teachers and classes that helped her discover her passion for neuroscience, which she plans to study in college.

Pileggi, son of Morgan Pileggi and Megan Dwyer of Accord, achieved his salutatorian status by earning a GPA of 100.56.

Among his many accomplishments was being named a Commended Student in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program. He was honored for his strong academic promise, as demonstrated by his performance on the qualifying test used for program entry.

Outside of the classroom, he was captain of the Varsity Soccer Team and the Math Team, president of the National Honor Society, a member of the Mock Trial Club, and a writer for ouRVoice, the High School newspaper.

Pileggi was thankful to English teacher Doug Serson, who, he said, was a big help with his college-application essays. He is also grateful to Math teacher Katrina Rubino, who quickly moved him into an advanced Math class when he arrived at RVHS as a freshman after years of being home-schooled. “Ms. Rubino quickly recognized my potential during my very first math class ever at Rondout.”

Other teachers who supported him in his academic journey were Social Studies teacher and Mock Trial Advisor Debra Ricci and Spanish teacher Victoria Robertson. Mock Trial, he noted, was one of the first clubs he joined at RVHS. “Ms. Ricci made me realize I wanted to go into law,” he said. Robertson, he said, fostered his love of linguistics. “She gave me a better understanding of language.”

Pileggi also expressed appreciation for the Rondout Valley school community for its friendliness and inclusiveness. On his first day at Rondout, he recalled, he was a bit intimidated because he didn’t know anyone. He was eating lunch alone in the cafeteria when a couple of students came over and invited him to join them. “Since then, I have never felt alone at Rondout.”

Pileggi cited his parents and his grandmother, as his biggest source of inspiration. “My parents weren’t just providers; they were my teachers. They let me explore what I loved,” he said. “My life would be very different if I didn’t have such incredible parents.” As for his grandmother, he said that she gave him an SAT study guide when he was in 8th grade, and told him to start studying.

“She specifically wanted me to be academic,” he said.

“She gave me that push.”

After graduation, Pileggi will be attending the University of Chicago, where he plans to major in linguistics with a view towards pursuing a career in law. He matched with the University of Chicago through QuestBridge, (questbridge.org), a program that welcomes applicants from high school seniors who have shown outstanding academic ability despite financial challenges.

Rondout Halls are filled with pride The Rondout Valley Hall of Pride installation honoring five Rondout graduates should have been held in the high school auditorium on April 24, 2020, at 9:00 a.m., but due to circumstances beyond our control a worldwide pandemic ensued, turned our lives upside down and our ceremony was cancelled. These graduates represented an extraordinary range of accomplishments in a variety of fields and have earned their way onto our wall. The Hall of Pride was established to show students that many possibilities do exist outside of the Rondout Valley. Biographies and pictures of these graduates are hanging in the main entrance of the high school. Previous inductees include an international soccer coach, head of school, opera singer, actor/ puppeteer, attorney, physician, engineer, publisher and astronaut. Those that should have been recognized were: Fritz Fiedler Class of 1983; Sgt. Shawn Farrell, Class of 2008; Kenneth Johnson, Class of 1979; Carlo Panaccione, Class of 1978; and Anne van Kleeck, Class of 1970. Three years later we are gearing up to induct four new people and felt the inductees of 2020 should also receive their well-deserved recognition. Congratulations Ganders!

Class of 1983, Fritz Fiedler, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Idaho, where he earned several teaching awards, received a grant in excess of five million dollars and has approximately 30 peer-reviewed publications. Fiedler is a co-founder of the interdisciplinary Water Resource Graduate Program.

Fritz attended the University of New Hampshire, earning both his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering. While at Colorado State University he emphasized his studies in Hydrologic Science and Engineering. Fritz has a life-long love of outdoor athletics, including racing various sorts of triathlons, mountain biking, backcountry skiing and whitewater kayaking.

Class of 2008, Sgt. Shawn Farrell, will be honored posthumous, his family will be given his plaque in his memory.

As a young boy, Shawn was interested in the Army and after the events of 9/11 he was more determined to be a soldier.

He joined the Army as a junior in high school, where he completed his first boot camp and was assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia. After graduation he attended boot camp and was assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas, then he went on van Kleeck to Fort Drum in May of 2010 where he would remain. Farrell was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from arch 2011 to March 2012 and then again in November 2013. On April 28, 2014, Shawn was killed in action in Afghanistan from wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire.

Panaccione Farrell was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge and the Purple Heart.

Class of 1979, Dr. Kenneth Johnson, attended Ulster County Community College and then transferred to Clarkson University where he earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering with Honors, M. Fiedler S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Ph.D. Systems Engineering, with a minor in Mathematics. His career has been spent leading research in neural networks and machine vision, missile guidance, holographic data storage and processing, laser radar, semiconductor devices and autonomous vehicles at Hughes Aircraft, Rockwell Johnson Science Center and Northrop Grumman. Johnson served on senior advisory counsels at prestigious institutions such as USC, Caltech, Harvey Mudd and Calpoly. He is fascinated with history, he co-authored “Warriors of the 106th – The Last Infantry Division of World War II,” the story of his uncle’s infantry division during the Battle of the Bulge.

Farrell Class of 1978, Carlo Panaccione, attended California State University earning a B.S. in Communications with a minor in business at College of Financial Planning in Denver, CO. He founded Navigation Group, Wealth Planning and Management, a registered investment advisory firm. He is partnered with LPL Financial, the nation’s largest independent broker. He has provided the financial advice, education and services that have resulted in him being featured in small business media outlets such as CNBC, Fox Business News, ABC News, NY Times, MSN Money, Barron’s, Businessweek, Worth and Bloomberg. Carlo has been actively involved in The Life You Can Save, a non-profit organization founded

by Peter Singer, which is dedicated to reducing extreme poverty and its devasting effects. Carlo has many interests which revolve around spending time with family and friends, they include entertaining, travel, wine, skiing, as well as preparing family recipes he learned during his childhood. He has coached AYSO soccer, basketball and Pony League baseball.

Class of 1970, Dr. Anne van Kleeck, attended SUNY Buffalo, B.A. in Speech Communication, Columbia University, M.A. Speech Pathology and University of Washington, Ph.D., Speech and Hearing Sciences. Dr. van Kleeck’s groundbreaking research has won national and international awards, culminating in the highest award given in her discipline. She was bestowed the honor by the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association in recognition of her distinguished and clearly exceptional research contributions to the area of language science over the course of her career. She has published extensively, including four books, one which was translated into Swedish, and nearly 75 book chapters and articles in research journals. She is a sought-after speaker; she has given hundreds of talks nationally and internationally. Dr. van Kleeck continues to have a love of art and music, she is an avid photographer, a lifelong passion she developed while in high school.

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Arts, culture & entertainment

Page 18

April 7, 2023

The return It is late, or early—depending on your perspective. For once, the highways are empty. California traffic is like a New York blizzard. You know roughly when it’ll strike and that it’ll likely mess up your plans. In both cases, you may as well stay off the road until it’s over.

I wish we were in traffic. Anything to slow us down. We are on our way to the airport. I hate flying. And leaving. But not so much as a red stop light seems to stand in our way.

We dive down the rainbow-rimmed throat of the Robin Williams tunnel, into the shock of orange sodium lights, then out again into the blackness. I imagine the people who live in the neighborhoods behind the strip malls. I wonder if they can feel me, the wind of the car making the curtains flutter, injecting a breeze into their dreams.

We approach the Golden Gate Bridge, navigating a slalom of long, hilly curves. In the day, I have looked out on the muddled meeting of fog and sea. The surface of the water is often flat and silvered below whipped, roiling bay clouds. It can be hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Now it is too dark to see anything at all.

We zip beneath the first gate. I have been fascinated by this bridge for months. The Art Deco embellishments in the steel. And of course, the puzzling color. Not red, as it might seem in pictures. Nor golden as the name implies.

Jodi LaMarco

Golden Gate Bridge, photo by Jodi LaMarco

It is the color of summer heat. More than a color, it is a feeling. A mood. If I were to ask someone how they were doing, and they said, “Golden Gate Red,” I would know exactly what they meant.

My first flight goes smoothly. As we approach Chicago, I think I’m doing pretty good. I’ve kept my terror of flying in check for most of the trip, and even pluck up the courage to look out the window on our descent. We bank, blessing the winter-brown fields with our outstretched wings.

Everything is OK.

Until I get on the second plane, at which point everything becomes very not OK. The plane is small. So small, that my seat is in a single row pressed against the side of the cabin. I pull out my phone and frantically text my friends. This isn’t a plane! I type. It’s a bus with some firecrackers stuck up it’s a**! Help! They reassure me that things will be fine, though I don’t believe them. Inexplicably (to me), we land safely in New York two hours later.

I wait in the sun for my ride to pick me up from the airport. It is a lovely day in Albany, and far warmer than it should be. It feels as though I have stepped out of a wormhole in time. When I left in November, the world looked the same. Leafless. Snowless. It’s as though I’ve picked up right where I left off.

At home, cobwebs net the corners of the doorframes. I grab a broom and knock a few down. I open the kitchen tap. Pipes in the wall lurch, then disgorge a stream of rusty water. I let it run while I go into the bathroom to turn on the shower. It is the same there. A few minutes later, the water runs clear. Everything is back to normal. Everything but me.

It takes a few days to re-acclimate. One morning, an eastern Pheobe wakes me up. I curse, then smile and go back to sleep.

I sneak into Mohonk Mountain House for tea time. I walk the not-so-secret trail that slinks behind the shops on Main Street in Rosendale. I see a bluebird, then a redwinged blackbird. It’s like stretching. Or settling into a couch with deep cushions.

In my garden, shoot tips are pushing through the leaves. I pull away the detritus and scoop out a circle of dirt to make some room. “Ah, there you are,” I say. I have remembered who I am.

Aprils past in the Rondout Valley April 8, 1869 New Paltz Times E.D.Terwilliger, of Ellenville, proposes to offer a purse of one hundred dollars for the best velocipede riding. The trial to be had on his new half-mile track near the village, on the fourth of July.

From the archives Linda Tantillo

April 13, 1876 New Paltz Times --Eighty cents per ton for coal from Honesdale to Rondout is all that robbing monopoly, the Del and Hud. Canal Co. will pay next season …. The Del. & Hud. Canal Co. and the coal combination have screwed their poor employees to starvation wages, but we haven’t yet heard of any material reduction in the price of coal to consumers.

April 27, 1876 New Paltz Times “THE STRIKE.”—The military was called out in Rondout on Thursday last, for the purpose of aiding a rich corporation—The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company—to starve their employees into submission—one dollar a day and board themselves, for about 8 months’ work. How these [people can survive] in

a city like Kingston, where they can have no gardens, no cow or pig, at the wages offered, we cannot understand.

In ‘60 they could have succeeded, but not now, when rent is about double, and so also is clothing.

Compare the prices: 1860 1876 Sugar………. .08 .10 [per lb.]

Butter…….. .25 .44 “ Shoulder… .10 .14 “ Coffee……. .18 .40 “ Pork………. .10 .14 “ Ham………. .12 .17 “ Mackerel.. .08 .16 “ Coal……… 3.50 5.25 [per ton]

April 7, 1882 New-Paltz Independent.

Mr. Newcombe, proprietor of the paper mill at Cornelius Hardenbergh’s near Stone Ridge, has purchased the Sheriff Signor property on the Stone Ridge side of the creek at High Falls—about forty acres. Also the right of way to the road, and means to put up a paper mill.

James H. Lounsbery lost a valuable horse last week.

John Teas lost a valuable trotting horse, one day recently.

Rosendale.

The cement industry is lively at present. The Lawrenceville Cement Company ground over 4,100 barrels, at their mill, last week. This is the largest amount ever ground in one week by this company.

May 7, 1909 Republican Watchman (Monticello, NY) Ellenville on the Upward Move.

Several of our milk dealers will begin the sale of milk in bottles as is the custom in larger places. This will be a big improvement on the delivery in large cans with the long dipper, which has been the custom since milk routes were started in Ellenville.--Ellenville correspondent to TimesPress.

We congratulate Ellenville. All of the Monticello milkmen have sold milk in bottles for the past 20 years. We are glad Ellenville is going to give up the dipper and get in line with the larger places. We had no idea there was such primitiveness in our sister city.

April 18, 1889 April 18, 1889 The Kingston Weekly Freeman and Journal Ellenville.

Eggs sell for $1 per 100.

Ice will be sold at 10 cents per 100 pounds this season.

Kripplebush.

April 8, 1920 New Paltz Independent and Times John L. Sullivan of Rosendale has applied for a certificate of conveniences and necessity for the operation of an auto bus line in Kingston as part of a line to Lawrenceville and passing through Rosendale.

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BlueStone Press, April 7, 2023 , Page 19

The Easter bunny and his wild cousins Everywhere there are changing seasons, there seems to be a universal human impulse to celebrate spring in some way. There are Druid sunrise gatherings on the morning of the equinox at Stonehenge, Wiccan ceremonies wherever there may be Wiccans; there is Holi, the Indian holiday when people throw powdered paint on each other; in Teotihuacan, Mexico, people assemble at the pyramid dressed in white to welcome the sun.

As for me, you will find me painting colored eggs every Easter with my family and hiding baskets of treats just like my mother used to do. A lapsed Catholic, I retain some of that feeling of awe at the idea of Christ rising from the dead, just as all of Nature seems to do each spring. Every year I am amazed all over again. One rainy Ann Belmont night, suddenly the tree frogs are at it, their calls incredibly loud for such a tiny creature. There are new birdsongs not heard since last September, insects start to appear.

And here comes Peter Cottontail, hoppin’ down the bunny trail … rabbits don't hibernate, but they are suddenly more visible against the backdrop of green lawn and meadow. At dawn and at dusk, they come out to graze. I love to spy a cottontail out the window at the end of the day (even if in a few months I may be chasing one around the garden like Farmer MacGregor). This time of year, pickings of fresh leafy plants being lean, they’ll be chewing twigs and seeds and bark (don’t let them girdle your saplings!). As more fresh food becomes available, they will be busy mating and producing litters from midspring till midsummer.

The Easter bunny tradition is supposed to have originated in medieval Germany. There, the legend was born that a magical rabbit laid colored eggs and brought them

Wild Things

Horoscopes There is little change in the formation of the planets at this writing. The Sun remains conjunct Jupiter in the sign of Aries, Mercury is conjunct Uranus in the sign of Taurus, and Mars continues to lead the way in the sign of Cancer. The space the planets inhabit is widening—they now fill just less than 180 degrees.

Once again, there are no planets in retrograde motion. The full Moon on the April 6, the day before we went to press, was in the sign of Libra, the sign for partnership. Did you engage in a semi-heated discussion with your significant other? The new Moon occurs at the end of this cycle on April 20 in the sign of Aries, accompanied by an eclipse, and is a fire sign.

Joanne

Your Zodiac Ferdman

ARIES: 3/21 to 4/19: Mars, your ruling planet, is positioned on the cusp of your 4th solar house of home and family. It is also in poor aspect to your Sun and promotes a great deal of negative energy. The full Moon has you reaching out to contact and help family members. The new Moon on April 20, is also in your sign, again activating your pursuit of career success. Your energy seems boundless.

TAURUS: 4/20 to 5/20: Venus, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 2nd solar house of money. The aspects to Venus show that trouble is evident. It's possible that if you shift to a different interesting subject, you will find hope for the future. The time to pursue some of your special interests is now while both the present full Moon and new Moon later this month will prove helpful.

GEMINI: 5/21 to 6/20: Mercury, your ruling planet is conjunct Uranus in your twelfth solar house that is hidden from view. Fortunately, Venus is on the cusp of your 1st solar house of personality—showing your charm and ability to influence people and promote your special interests. Both the full and new Moon will be able to attract new sources of income.

CANCER: 6/21 to 7/20: The Moon child deals with the full Moon on the 6th with special attention to important family functions. The new Moon on April 20 falls in your

Happy Easter

to good children (shades of St. Nicholas). You might think that the Easter bunny should logically be an Easter chicken. After all, rabbits don't lay eggs; but the rabbit's fertility makes it a perfect symbol of spring renewal. Also they're cuter than chickens, unless of course you're a chicken-ophile.

Magical mythical rabbits are fun, but the habits of wild cottontails are perhaps best overlooked while you are eating your chocolate bunny. “Probably a lot of people don’t know that rabbits eat their own poop," observes Susan Booth Binczik, DEC wildlife specialist. Why do they do that, you ask? Because their diet is hard to digest.

Especially in the winter—they basically eat wood. They’re

1st solar house of personality and is apt to bring a new source of income. It's possible your career will take on a new dimension that places you in the spotlight.

LEO: 7/21 to 8/22: The Sun, your ruling planet is positioned conjunct Jupiter on the cusp of the 10th solar house of career. Since Jupiter promises large, good things and is about to enter your 10th house to join both Mercury and Uranus, it is likely you will be offered your chance at a dream position you've waited for. Don't be surprised when the New Moon brings fulfillment.

VIRGO: 8/23 to 9/22: Mercury, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 9th solar house conjunct Uranus.

You may be looking for opportunities that offer a greater chance for success than your present circumstances. The March winds blew in many different opportunities, but now the April showers are replenishing the ground so that you may find the right prospect for the future.

LIBRA: 9/23 to 10/22: Venus, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 9th solar house of information and education. You are busy adjusting to a change in outlook that has put you in position to make several career changes. The new Moon on April 20 in the sign of Aries will have a great importance and will be easy to manifest.

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. Mars leads the planets in the 9th solar house while Pluto follows last in the sign of Aquarius. You're thinking about making a change to your schedule —possibly taking a special course that will allow you to grow in your present line of work.

SAGITTARIUS: 11/23 /21: Jupiter, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 5th solar house of children and creativity. Now that you've been able to design the latest gadget that will augment your product, you're ready to promote it fully. The full Moon is the time to devise the method, while the new Moon is the time to begin the pitch to see it reach the market.

CAPRICORN: 12/22 to 1/20: Saturn, your ruling planet is now in your 3rd solar house of education and communication. Present activities point to a goal that will generate a greater income while improving and promoting one part of your business. The new Moon on the 20th in the sign of Aries will help provide the energy to help achieve your goal.

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. At the same time Pluto is placed directly on the Ascendant controlling any choice you make. Aquarius, your ruler, is conjunct Mercury helping to solve problems that have arisen at work.

PISCES: 2/20 TO 3/20: Neptune, your ruling planet continues positioned in the closing degrees of your 1st

chewing on the ends of branches and small woody plants… every animal that eats plants has some kind of complex mechanism to get the nutrients out of it, because cellulose is hard to digest.” She takes the four stomachs of a cow for an example; cows and other cud-chewing beasts essentially chew everything twice before it gets fully digested. Rabbits, by contrast, “do it from the other end,” eating their first-edition poop, extracting its nutrients, and the second time producing the finished product, those hard little pellets.

According to Binczik, our native Eastern cottontail is doing fine presently. In case you worry (as I do) about RHD, the disease that has hit Southwestern bunnies hard, “knock on wood, so far it hasn’t made it to the Northeast," she says. However, the Eastern cottontail native to these parts is doing far better than the New England cottontail.

Historically, the Hudson River divided the ranges of the two subspecies, but “early in the 20th century, hundreds of thousands of [Eastern cottontails] were released into New England” because they are easier to hunt.

Once there, the Easterns began to outcompete the New Englands. “Both species use thickets and brushy stuff… that’s where they can get protection from predators.” But “the Easterns will also use open areas, fields and lawns… that enables them to move through a fragmented landscape." They seem to be comfortable in human-dominated areas, "roads, power lines and so forth. That gives them a leg up over the New Englands. They can colonize [new areas] faster.”

All cottontails have surprisingly short life spans, on average less than a year-and-a-half, at the most four or five years; but they are very, very diligent about replacing themselves.

And thus we have the Easter Bunny, symbol of abundance, who hides beautiful colored eggs and candy and provides the thrill of finding them for our own growing young ones.

solar house of personality. Hard work has placed you in a fine position to profit from your creative ventures. With Mars in your 5th solar house of creativity, it would be easy to step back and let people find you. However, you need the recognition!! Remember, the new Moon in Aries is an opportunity!!

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.

He Is Risen Indeed!

Join us Easter morning for Worship at 10am followed by a time of Fellowship and Refreshment Marbletown Reformed Church (US Rt 209, 3750 Main St, Stone Ridge) 845-687-7701 Rev. Linda Miles, Interim Pastor

Russel Oliver, Music Director

SUPPORT

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FOR THE FAMILY Local Quilters Guild meetings The Wiltwyck Quilt Guild comes together to share their work, learn a new skill and meet new friends. After 9:30 a.m. Saturday, April 15, the Wiltwyck Quilters Guild will sign onto zoom to chat with fellow sewers and prepare for the 10 a.m. business meeting. At 11 a.m., Shelley Cavanna of Cora’s Quilts will lecture on “Lone Star Quilts.” Her noon-3:30 p.m. workshop, “Spectacular Stars Simplified” requires registration and payment of a fee. For more information, visit wiltwyckquilters. org. Members are always wanted and welcomed to join the projects benefiting the community. For Zoom link and questions, contact Guild secretary Mary Tyler of Rosendale at marycodytyler@ yahoo.com.

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 12, 19 and 26) and Saturdays (April 8, 15, 22 and 29) and 3-5 p.m. Thursdays (April 13, 20 and 27). 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 845-7504112 or email LOLC12404@gmail.com.

RVUMC Easter weekend Easter events and more The Rondout Valley United Methodist Church will have its Easter Cantata featuring the musical offering of the Easter Story, “Come, Touch the Robe” by Pepper Chopin followed by light refreshments, 2 p.m. Saturday, April 8; its Easter Sunday Service, at 10 a.m. and host its Second Sunday Supper, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 9, with all events, held at the church, 25 Schoonmaker Lane, off Route 209, Stone Ridge. All are invited to meet and greet other members of the community and enjoy one another’s company. Second Sunday Suppers are free and held on the second Sunday of every month (except July and August). Sunday worship at RVUMC is in person at 10 a.m. or online anytime at rvumc.org. For more information, call 845-687-9061. Need prayer? Call Pastor Caroline at 845-6879090.

Brooks’ House of Bar-B-Q chicken dinner at Marbletown Reformed Church, preorder by April 9 Tasty chicken dinners from Brooks’ House of Bar-B-Q of Oneonta will be available for drive-up take-out, 3:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, at Marbletown Reformed Church, 3750 Main St., Stone Ridge. Each $15 dinner, paid by cash or check only includes half a chicken, coleslaw, baked potato, dinner roll and dessert. There will also by Brooks’ bottled Bar-B-Q sauce available for sale for $5/bottle. Pre-order (recommended) by April 9 at 845-6873057. For more information, visit Marbletown Reformed Church on Facebook.

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, April 21 (bring a dessert to share or drop $2 in

AFTER

Longtime Master Gardener Marge Bonner of Kerhonkson volunteers as part of a team in the SUNY Ulster Xeriscape Garden. 2016 photo by Larry Decker.

Garden Day in Stone Ridge is back 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."

As luck would have it, Garden Day coincides with Earth Day, so the day's events will focus on being kind to the planet. Some of the topics that will be covered deal with common problems that gardeners encounter, and some creative solutions. Learn about "No-Mow May," which delves into why letting the lawn go "a little wild" in the spring is a huge benefit to native plants, animals, bees and other pollinators that require a specialized environment. Look at the class on "Vermiculture," and learn how to use worms to turn kitchen scraps into a treasure trove of vermicompost for all the plants. Sign up for "Made for the Shade," to learn more about creating

the basket on the dessert table), each month. For more information, call Donna Lamerson at 845-750-8616. The next group trip will be on Tuesday, April 11, to Aqua Turf Club, Plantsville, Connecticut, for “Shake, Rattle ’n’ Roll,” dueling pianos featuring mixing music, comedy and audience interaction in a sing-along, dance-along show also offering a meal with choice of Chicken Kathryn or baked ham. Cost of trip is $63. Bus leaves 8:30 a.m. This trip leaves from Rosendale Recreation Center, 1055 Route 32N, Rosendale. The group then travels to Silver Birches, Hawley, Pa to see Flying

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an enticing garden in the shade. If you want to understand how to keep your grassy areas looking tip-top, attend the session on "Understanding Your Home Lawn." Come to "Pruning Shrubs & Trees" and hear about the best strategies for keeping the greenery in the garden lush and thriving. "Spring Cleaning - Preparing for the Season Ahead," teaches when to remove the winter's mulch, which plants to cut back, which plants to divide and which plants can be left to their own devices as the garden "'spring" back to life.

The cost for the entire day is $55 if pre-enrolled or $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 for the classes and for more info.

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 and 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.

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 (April 12), 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.

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 Ester, 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 (April 12), 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.

Ellenville Regional Hospital Gift Shop, Sale into spring Enjoy 30% off new lines of clothing, accessories and jewelry, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, April 13 and 14, at ERH, 10 Healthy Way, Ellenville. For more information, visit erhny.org or call 845-647-6400.

Thursdays at Clove Valley Community Farm of High Falls Join community organizer Aileah Kvashay and friends, 4-7 p.m. each Thursday, April 13-Nov. 2, at Clove Valley Community Farm, (park to the left of the barn), at 81 Clove Valley Road, High Falls for open-farm work party, food sharing, and co-creative fun. Whether working the gardens, shopping at the farm stand, preparing for the farm-to-table dinner, or enjoying the beauty of nature, come be a part of the magic. Arrive early and stay for the community dinner. Wrap-up at 9 p.m.

Work-trade for farm fresh produce. Dogs must be on a leash for this event. For more information, visit clovevalleycommunityfarm.org.

Bimonthly meeting for the Women’s Club of Rosendale The Women’s Club of Rosendale will hold their bimonthly meeting, 6 p.m. Thursday, April 13, at the Rosendale Community Center, 1055 Route 32, Rosendale. The Club is also, once again sponsoring their high school scholarship program. Applications, due

by Friday, April 14, may be obtained from the Rosendale Library’s website, rosendalelibrary.org and through the guidance office at Rondout Valley High School, at rondout.k12.ny.us or by phone at 845687-2400. Visit “The Women’s Club of Rosendale” on Facebook.

Kripplebush-Lyonsville Fire Company Sub Nites are back! Enjoy great sub sandwiches at the Kripplebush-Lyonsville Fire Company, at the intersection of County Route 2 at 519 Pine Bush Road in Stone Ridge, just 1 mile north of Route 209. Ham, turkey, roast beef or mixed meat, mixed veggie, chicken parm, meat-

See More events, page 21 ball, tuna, and of course Philly cheese subs are made to order on a 12-inch roll with choice of toppings and served with a bag of chips and a drink (assorted cans of soda, iced tea or bottled water). Take a sub home or eat one in the dining room at the firehouse. Sub Nites are held 4-7 p.m. (with call-ins at 3:30 p.m.) on the second Friday of each month, March-November (this month on April 14), for a suggested donation of $10. For more information or to place an order, call 845-687-9801.

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 16 and 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

BlueStone Press, April 7, 2023 , Page 21

Ulster County Historical Society's volunteer open house

Events continued from page 20 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, establishing 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.

ARTS, MUSIC, BODY & MIND ‘Suicide Eyes,’ a short film by Taylor Seupel of High Falls, back by popular demand Garnered by standing ovations from a capacity crowd in Kingston last month, “Suicide Eyes,” a short film produced in the Hudson Valley by Taylor Seupel of High Falls, is back, 7 and 8 p.m.

Saturday, April 8, at the Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston. Note that Broadway parking is limited, but parking is also available at the nearby police station, 1 Garraghan Drive; on Spring Street; and across from the Maritime Museum, 50 Rondout Landing, Kingston. A 14-minute dark comedy meant to kick off discussion about this tough subject, the film was hailed by many educators as a must-see for schools and colleges. The story follows Jake, a young man who decides to end his life. However, there are consequences he can’t escape, and he must bear witness to the events that unfold. Dedicated to Seupel’s brother, father, and friend, all of whom died of suicide in 2012, the film heavily features local actors, including Marbletown’s Ed Morris, who plays Jake’s dad. Seupel will hold a Q&A reception with refreshments after the film. Admission is free, but donations to help defray expenses and for film festival fees are accepted. For more information, email tsuepel@gmail.com.

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 the Soul-Jazz Collective with soul, funk, blues, gospel, and jazz on April 8; the Teri Roiger 4tet on April 15; Jimmy Madison & Friends on April 22; and Dzubia, Anderson, Seigel, and Syracuse, 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 845687-6373 or visit lydias-cafe.com.

Hike around Lake Minnewaska and along the Cliff Edge Beacon Hill Loop Join Laura Conner, Environmental Educator, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, April 9 for a three-mile hike along the Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, Beacon Hill Footpath, and Beacon Hill Carriage Road.

Walk the picturesque route around the Lake from west to east, stopping along the way for all the scenic vistas. Then, hike the Beacon Hill Footpath, which follows along the top edge of an east-facing escarpment and offers beautiful views of the Rondout and Wallkill Valleys below and the Catskill Mountains to the north.

The carriage roads are relatively easy walking; however, the footpath does include some hills and tricky footing. Meet at the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center, 5281 Route 44/55, Kerhonkson. Preregistration is required by calling 845-2550752.

Lower Awosting, Rainbow Falls, and Blueberry Run footpath loop hike Join Nick Martin, Park Preserve Educator, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 15 for an approximately seven-mile hike towards Lake Awosting on a combination of carriage roads and footpaths. A few sections of the Rainbow Falls Footpath require some rock scrambling, which may be difficult for some. Some other sections of trail may be muddy and wet.

Participants are highly encouraged to wear waterproof boots and bring plenty of food and water. Meet at the Lower

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Luma in the documentary “Cow.” (IFC Films)

Screening of ‘Cow’ and panel discussion with Woodstock Farm Sanctuary tonight Join the community, 7 p.m. tonight, Friday, April 7, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale for a special screening of acclaimed director Andrea Arnold’s (American Honey, Big Little Lies) first documentary, “Cow.” The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Hervé Breuil (Shelter Director at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary), Kathy Stevens (co-founder of Catskill Animal Sanctuary), and documentarian Richard Miron. The Q&A will be moderated by Rachel McCrystal, Executive Director of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary.

“Cow” immerses the audience in life on a dairy farm in rural England through

the eyes of Luma, a cow. Empathetic and nearly wordless, the film opens during calving season and captures a world of animal existence that is ordered around service to humans.

“This film is an endeavor to consider cows. To move us closer to them. To see both their beauty and the challenge of their lives. Not in a romantic way but in a real way,” explained Arnold. “It’s a film about one dairy cow’s reality and acknowledging her great service to us. When I look at Luma, our cow, I see the whole world in her.” For more information, visit rosendaletheatre.org or call 845-658-8989.

Come to the UCHS’ Open House, 1011:30 a.m. Saturday, April 15, at the Bevier House, 2682 Route 209, Marbletown, and discover how to become a UCHS volunteer. Meet the current team and learn about remote and in-person opportunities as a Greeter and Tour Guide, May-October; in Event Hospitality, May-October; as a Membership Coordinator, done remotely; Volunteer Coordinator, done remotely; in Curatorial Housekeeping; and/or as a member of the Board of Trustees, with atlarge committee and trustee positions. Full training is provided for all these positions.

For more information, RSVP to Pamela Herrick at uchsdirector@gmail.com.

Big Joe Fitz, dance away the tax day blues The name Big Joe Fitz has been synonymous with soulful music in the Hudson Valley for more than 30 years. Experience outstanding musicianship and an eclectic playlist that ranges from Bobby Bland to Johnny Mercer to Ernest Tubb and beyond. Come on out for great music, company, and food and drink served in Uncle Tony’s Tavern! And get on the floor to dance away the tax day blues! This event, 7 p.m. Saturday, April 15, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale is produced by Mark Morgenstern, owner and music booker of the Rosendale Café and member of the Board of Advisors of the Rosendale Theatre Collective.

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

Music Fan Series presents, ‘Little Richard, I am everything’ Blood, Sweat & Tears (also known as "BS&T") is an American jazz rock music group founded in New York City in 1967, noted for a combination of brass with rock.

‘What the hell happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears?’ Documentary at Rosendale This just-released 2023 documentary will screen one night only, 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale, at part of the Theatre’s Music Fan Series.

Blood, Sweat & Tears was one of the top groups of the early 1970s. The famed rock-jazz-blues band racked up numerous hit songs and Grammy Awards. But when they became the first American rock band to perform behind the Iron Curtain, doing concerts in Yugoslavia, Romania and Poland, the controversial tour ended their career. Now, more than 50 years

later, the full story is revealed in the new documentary, “What the hell happened to blood, sweat & tears?” Through documentary footage thought to be lost, unsealed government records, and present-day interviews with band members, the documentary, directed by John Scheinfeld unravels the details of this explosive tour and showcases 27 songs from the group’s catalog.

Admission is $10/$6 members. For more information, visit rosendaletheatre. org or call 845-658-8989.

Little Richard was an early pioneer of rock n’ roll. But only a part of his true story has been told. Until now.

“Little Richard, I am everything” blows the lid off a dazzling life lived in the spotlight, but also in the shadows. This 2023 documentary explores the conflicted religious, racial and sexual sides of the larger-than-life Richard Penniman. The film, to be shown, 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale does not flinch from exploring the racist music industry that ripped him off, his gay identity and his struggle with his religious roots. Directed by Lisa Cortés, the documentary features reminiscences by musical legends Tom Jones, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Nile Rodgers and Nona Hendryx.

Admission is $10/$6 members. For more information, visit rosendaletheatre. org or call 845-658-8989.

ADVERTISE TODAY! Local Business to Local Readers Contact BSP at 845-687-4480

Page 22, April 7, 2023 , BlueStone Press Events continued from page 29 Parking Area. Pre-registration is required by calling the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center at 845-255-0752.

Mohonk Preserve April volunteer orientations and trainings Volunteer orientations and trainings continue at Mohonk Preserve. New volunteers are welcome and needed in all activities.

Orientations take place at the Preserve or by Zoom. The next few volunteer group orientations and trainings include the Pollinator Program, held via Zoom, 10-11:30 a.m. and the Pollinator Program Field Training, 1-2:30 p.m., at Testimonial Gateway, mandatory for all volunteers, both on Saturday, April 15; and Trailhead Ambassadors, held via Zoom, 9-10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 22. Check the website at mohonkpreserve.org/volunteer for descriptions and requirements for all volunteer activities and a link to register online. For more information or to get involved but not available to attend a scheduled orientation, contact Andy Reynolds, volunteer programs manager, at volunteers@mohonkpreserve.org or 845-255-0919, ext. 1269. In case of inclement weather, call the Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center at 845-255-0919 for status of trainings.

Hike to the White Cliffs of Millbrook Mountain at Minnewaska Join Laura Conner, Environmental Educator, 9:30 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. Sunday, April 16 for this modestly challenging, five-mile roundtrip hike along the Millbrook Mountain Footpath and Millbrook Mountain Carriage Road. Stunning, panoramic views of the Wallkill Valley and the Catskills are abundant from the top of the white cliffs of Millbrook Mountain. The footpath section of this outing traverses through forests, over a stream and exposed rock slabs, with sustained downhill and uphill sections. Some participants may find this uneven terrain challenging. The other half of this loop hike, which is on the meandering Millbrook Mountain and Lake Minnewaska Carriage Roads, is less strenuous, offering scenic views of the steep- sided Palmaghatt Ravine below and distant views of New Jersey. Participants should bring water, snacks and lunch and wear appropriate hiking shoes.

Meet at the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center, 5281 Route 44/55, Kerhonkson.

Preregistration is required by calling 845-255-0752.

Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day event at the Kerhonkson Synagogue All are welcome to attend the Yom HaShoah event of Remembrance and are invited to share a piece of writing, poetry, video, music, etc., though it is not mandatory, 2-4 p.m. Sunday, April 16, at the Kerhonkson Synagogue, 26 Minnewaska Trail, Kerhonkson. After all participants have shared, a discussion will be facilitated by Kate Selzo and Judith Bromley. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Selzo at kvolkselzo@jfsulster.org or call 845-338-2980 to register.

Millbrook Mountain Loop hike at Minnewaska Join Laura Conner, Environmental Educator, and Josh Grosse, Student Conservation Association/ AmeriCorps Environmental Educator, 9:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 18 for this five-mile hike along the Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, Millbrook Mountain Carriage Road and Millbrook Mountain Footpath. Participants should pack water and food and wear appropriate shoes.

Meet at the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center, 5281 Route 44/55, Kerhonkson.

Preregistration is required by calling 845-255-0752.

After Yang’ presented by the Rosendale Theatre Rosendale Theatre's Science on Screen® presents the film, “After Yang” followed by a discussion and Q&A with Dr. Kenneth Livingston, Professor of Cognitive Science at Vassar College, and Dr. Marc Smith, chair of the Computer Science department at Vassar College, 3 p.m. Saturday, April 15, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale. The Theatre's Science on Screen® producer Alan Newman will moderate the discussion.

“After Yang” (2022) is set in the future and revolves around a family of four that includes a humanlike robot, "son" Yang. When Yang malfunctions, the story focuses on whether to repair the robot or let it "die." The film stars Collin Farrell and is one of Barack Obama's ten best films of 2022.

Livingston earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Harvard University. He was one of the founding members of the Interdisciplinary Robotics Research Laboratory, a founding member of Vassar's Department of Cognitive Science, and serves on the Steering Committee of the Science, Technology, and Society Program at Vassar. Smith received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in computer science from the University of Central Florida. After spending 15 years working for AT&T, he joined the faculty of Colby College. In 2006, he moved to

Vassar, where his research interests span elements of theoretical and experimental computer science, models of parallel and distributed computation, programming languages, unifying theories of programming, and bioinformatics. Science on Screen® is an initiative of the Coolidge Corner Theatre, with major support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Only 40

National Theatre Live presents, ‘Kinky Boots,’ a musical inspired by a true story

Spring Explorations at the Ashokan Center presents Nature’s Medicinal Benefits

Direct from the London stage, “Kinky Boots” comes to U.S. cinema screens with this dazzling musical, 2 p.m. Sunday, April 16, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale.

Inspired by true events, the musical tells the story of Charlie Price. Having inherited a shoe factory from his father, he forms an unlikely partnership with cabaret performer and drag queen Lola to produce a line of high heeled boots and save the business.

In the process, Charlie and Lola discover that they are not so different after all. With songs by Grammy® and Tony® winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper, direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Hairspray) and book by Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles), the musical celebrates a joyous story of Brit grit to high-heeled hit as it takes viewers from the factory floor of Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan!

Admission is $15/$12 members. For more information, visit rosendaletheatre. org or call 845-658-8989.

Join the community, 10 a.m. Sunday, April 16 for a group hike, led by Del Orloske to explore the trails while looking for plants with interesting characteristics and medical benefits, at the Ashokan Center, (meet in the upper parking lot), at 477 Beaverkill Road, Olivebridge,. Learn about historical uses of plants. There is a $20 suggested/$10 minimum donation with no charge for kids, under 12. For more information, visit ashokancenter.org or call 845-657-8333.

Be the miracle with a blood donation to save a life and get a Joe Cool t-shirt Death Café group discussion via Zoom,

free & open to all Circle of Friends for the Dying’s Death Café is a group-directed conversation with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session; it is free and open to everyone.

Death Cafés are held on the 18th of each month, with the next discussion, Tuesday, April 18, via Zoom, discussing different types of losses, death, relationship, empty nest, environmental, retirement, job loss, move, illness, loss of function – any of these that can bring a sense of loss of identity. For more information and registration, visit cfdhv.org.

“After Yang” stars Colin Farrell as Jake, Jodie Turner-Smith as Kyra, Justin H. Min as Yang, and Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja as Mika.

Give blood, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 15, at the Marbletown Community Center, 3564 Main St., Stone Ridge.

Peanuts Joe Cool t-shirts given with all donations while supplies last. For more information or to make an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org.

News tip?

Contact the BSP bluestonepress.net

TMI Project Free Write, Comedy Edition Eva Tenuto and Julie Novak, co-founders of TMI Project, which originated in Rosendale, agree that laughter is the best medicine and invite the community to join them for the TMI Project Free Write, Comedy Edition, 7-9 p.m. Monday, April 10 and 17 via Zoom. This workshop series will offer participants the opportunity to tell their true stories through a comedic lens. All are welcome. Free with a suggested donation of $20/session. No experience necessary. For more information and registration, visit tmiproject.org.

competitive Science on Screen® grants were awarded nationwide in 2022-2023.

This is the fourth year the Rosendale Theatre Collective has been awarded funds for this evocative programming.

Admission is $10/$6 members. For more information, visit rosendaletheatre. org or call 845-658-8989.

This frog, more commonly known as a spring peeper, lays its eggs in vernal pools. They are small and easy to miss.

Frogs, like other animals, usually rely on the environmental circumstances provided by the ponds to survive.

Minnewaska Frog Fun and Salamander Search After a long, cold winter slumber, the frogs and salamanders of the Park Preserve have finally woken up. Join homeschoolers, 1-3 p.m. Thursday, April 20 to observe these lively critters as they stretch their legs and relocate to the vernal pools in the Peter’s Kill Area. Starting with a lesson on identification and food webs, to become familiar with the noises, appearances, and activities of each amphibian, and the eggs they lay this tie of year. Then go out into the field and see, hear, and search for these creatures with a fun, hands-on approach. The group will also play, “Frog Metamorphosis Tag,” a game about frog cycles. This program is recommended for kids, 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 845-255-0752.

Send your calendar events to BSP! bluestonepress.net

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April 7, 2023 Page 23 Services Offered

MARBLETOWN

Sell it now!

Spring is here !

Lawn Mowing Weed Whacking Spring Clean Ups Discount rates.

845-893-5644 Bell Excavation and Stonework Experienced in all phases of excavation and installment of bluestone for patios, walks, and walls. Beautify your home with the experience and care of Charlie Bell.

All work insured and guaranteed.

845-626-3542 or 845-389-3000 Dependable Rides For Seniors Retired social worker and overall mensch will transport you safely and respectfully to all daily errands and appointments ~and wait with you~ Affordable Rates Ira @914.466-9505 Doug Tyler & Son Rolloff Containers Demolition 10 20 30 40 yds CNP and Metals 845-849-5909 Down to Earth Landscaping Koi Ponds, Patios and Decks, Yard Maintenance, Tree Trimming Fence Installation and Repair and Snow Removal FULLY INSURED Ben Watson 845-389-3028 BluestoneExperts.com www.fb.com/downtoearthny Whittaker Welding Steel & Cast Iron Repair Fabrication Modifications Reinforcement Hardfacing 407 Krumville Road Olivebridge, NY 12461 845-657-6719 Mini- Excavator and Operator Available for trenches, driveways, debris removal, horse fencing and treasure burying.

203-858-3634

$15.00 for the first 20 words. ($.25 for each additional word) All classified ads must be paid for by the end of Tuesday before our Friday issue date. The newspaper is printed on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month.

Billing privileges are extended to display advertising clients and accounts placed for six months or more.

Our mailing address is PO Box 149, Stone Ridge, NY 12484.

Please call 687-4480 for more information.

We take credit cards!

Mowing Lawns/Fields Property care tree maintenance improving your outdoor living 845-721-4741 Rose Hill Antiques 5066 Route 209 in Accord, ten miles south of Kingston or ten miles north of Ellenville.

Open Saturday and Sunday, 11am5pm. 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.

Something for everyone. rosehillantiques.com 845-594-5752.

BUYING antiques and used furniture.

Tired of overpriced and overtaxed products from the dispensary?

Worried about the additives and pesticides that pervade the black market supplies? NYS laws now allow Certified Patients to grow their own legally. Educated and experienced local grower working with patients to cultivate legal, organic medical marijuana at your home. From site visits and consultations to garden construction and maintenance, Gunk View Growers will get you started.

Discreet and dependable. Inquiries to: gunkview@gmail.com

CATSKILL ADC

• Nuisance Wildlife Management • Resolving Human and Animal Conflicts • UCT, NYSTA, NWCOA, NTA Life Member

Humane Removal Bats • Squirrels Skunks • Raccoons And More

OUR TEAM!

Rondout Municipal Center 1925 Lucas Avenue, Cottekill marbletown.net

845-687-7500

Housing Committee April 11 @ 7:00pm CPAB Meeting April 12 @ 5:00pm Town Board Meeting April 18 @ 6:00pm

Help Wanted/Items Needed

Rice Plumbing and Heating is looking to hire an experienced HVAC Plumbing technician.

3 to 5 years experience.

Clean drivers license.

Full time.

Salary based on experience.

Send resume to riceplumbingandheating@gmail.com The Roost in Stone Ridge is currently interviewing for f/t cooks and dishwashers at competitive wages.

Please apply in person. at the restaurant 3542 Main St., Stone Ridge.

Veronica’s Garden in Stone Ridge is seeking an experienced landscaper Good salary, flexible hours Must have a licensed Call 845-687-9026 or (845)399-1708

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

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

845-658-3159

Town Board Meeting April 12 @ 6:00 pm Environmental Commission April 13 @ 7:00 pm Planning Board Meeting April 13 @ 7:00 pm Economic Development April 19 @ 5:30 pm Recreation Commission April 19 @ 7:00 pm

Homes/Land for Sale

Police Commission April 25 @ 3:30 pm

Young couple looking for our forever home We just moved back to the area to be near our new little nephew and growing family in Stone Ridge. Hoping to find a 3+ br / 1+ bath on a quiet 2+ acre property where our family can gather, hopefully with a barn or shed that could be used as a wood shop and enough space for a small garden. In Ulster, western Dutchess, or southwest Columbia county. We’re both handy and very open to taking on an older property in need of care.

We love old houses (1870s-1940s), but open to all types of homes! Please reach out to Mia at (818)384-0698 or mtramz@gmail.com

Water/Sewer Commission April 26 @ 5:00 pm

Mark W. Charpentier

Phone: (845)389-8841 email: CatskillADC@gmail.com

JOIN

Page 23 April 7, 2023

BSP IS LOOKING FOR A NEW OFFICE MANAGER IN OUR STONE RIDGE OFFICE. The right candidate will be detail-oriented and have good communication skills. This customer service position works with the community, advertisers and reporting staff. It also includes inside sales, account management, and website tasks on proprietorial software specific to the newspaper industry.

INTERESTED? CONTACT THE BSP OFFICE.

845-687-4480 | bluestonepress845@gmail.com

WE WILL TRAIN THE RIGHT PERSON.

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

845-626-7384

Planning Board Meeting April 10 @ 7:00 pm Historic Preservation April 17 @ 2:00 pm Recreation Commission April 19 @ 9:30 am Zoning Board Meeting April 20 @ 7:00 pm Environmental Conservation April 25 @ 7:00 pm Town Board Audit Meeting April 27 @ 7:00 pm

BOARD OF ED District, Kyserike Road, Accord rondout.k12.ny.us/ board-of-education BOE MEETING April 18 @ 7:00 pm Confirmation of meeting times through individual town offices is recommended.

Page 24, April 7, 2023 BlueStone Press

Water Testing & Treatment for over 25 years

James Lyman Reynolds architect 3555 Main St, Stone Ridge Iron, Hardness, Sulphur, Bacteria - UV Treatment, pH - Green Staining

845.687.9161 4303 US Route 209 | Stone Ridge, New York 12484

jameslymanreynolds.com

(845) 687-0420 • aquacheckllc@gmail.com

Custom Showers • Ceramic & Stone Tile Stone Veneers • Full Bath Build-Outs • Insured

845-687-4745

Accessories -- Sales Accessories Sales--Installations Installations Cars --Trucks Trucks -- RVs Cars RVs -- Boats Boats OVER 45 www.davescarcare.com YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE VALLEY

Coal, Gas THE MAD HATTER  &Wood, Oil Flues CO .

CHIMNEY SWEEP INC Expertly Cleaned

Flynn O’Connor

COMPLETE AUTOMOTIVE DETAILING

Dave Hllml • By Appointment 687-2445 Dave Hllml By Appointment 687-2445 4693 Route 209, Accord, NY 12404 4693 Route 209, Accord, NY 12404 www.davescarcare.com

Call

SPRING CLEANING

Matthew Flamhaft 845-687-9735 www.visitvortex.com/Matthew_Flamhaft

Wayne W. St. Hill, DDS, MAGD

SPECIAL APRIL/MAY/JUNE

MEMBER NATIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP GUILD

 Caps, Dampers Installed  Masonry Repairs & Water Sealing  Pre-Fab Chimney Specialist  Stainless Steel Relining Specialist

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Stone RiDGe DentiStRy

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4305 uS Highway 209 • Stone ridge, ny 12484 PHonE (845) 687-0047 • Fax (845) 687-4783

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info@mecels.com • www.mecels.com

PC Perfection

Edgar P. Campbell Joanne C. Whalen

Helping Human Beings Cope with Computers since 1986

Counsellors At Law

Tutoring, Sales, Repair, Cleaning

Taking Care of Your Legal Needs!

Alan Silverman

• Wills • Real Estate • Elder Law • Estates

(845) 687-9458

Injured? Call us

(914) 948-7700 (845) 687-0353 3536 Rt. 209 Stone Ridge, NY 12484

All Types of Roofing Fully Insured

alan.silverman.computers@gmail.com http://alan-silverman-computers.com

Sanitall

Stone Ridge Insurance

HudSon Valley Green CleanerS

Serving All of Your Insurance Needs

Steam Vapor Sanitizing SerVice ChemiCal Free!!!

100% Green Cleaning testing and removal of

Emergency Well Pump Service Plumbing Repairs & Installation Water Filtration Systems Radiant Heat Flooring Oil & Gas Heating Systems-Installation & Service Septic & Drain Field Installation/Sump Pump Installation

Licensed Master Plumber #136 • Fully Insured riceplumbingandheating@gmail.com • riceplumbingandheating.com

Donald J. Giamei, Agent donaldgiamei@hotmail.com

mold. allergens. deep Cleaning.

Michele Aversano, Licensed Associate michelesri@outlook.com

Reconstruction/Remodeling Post Construction & Seasonal Clean Up

PO Box 341, 3669 Main Street, Stone Ridge Phone 845-687-2828 | Fax 845-687-2829 stoneridgeinsurance.net | Like us on

Cracked Pipe, Flood & Black Water Damage, Dry Out & Disinfecting nYs licensed mold assessor & mold remediation

Commercial & Residential. Insurance Claims Accepted.

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All Motor CArs Creating thoughtful, livable spaces.

sales & service 845.658.8015

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