BlueStone Press

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

Published the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month | Vol. 28, Issue 10

Hudson Valley Beltane Festival in Rosendale

Thomas Childers BSP Reporter The Marbletown Town Board met on May 16 at the Rondout Municipal Center in Cottekill. Supervisor Rich Parete and councilmembers Don Lafera and Ken Davenport were in attendance. Councilmembers Daisy Foote and Tim Hunt were absent.

There was a continuation of the discussion on the Osterhoudt Flats purchase that would be funded by Marbletown’s new real estate transfer tax. Parete began, saying, “Ken, can you cover your ears?

We are going to be coming forward with a public hearing for the Osterhoudt property … So that process has started. We'll have a bond council because we have to decide as a board how do we want to pay for this? The contract is going to allow us up to three years to pay for it. So we can do

See Flats, page 5

Softball success and girls lacrosse goes varsity

Community Center gains support for needed repairs

PAGE 22

Marbletown Town Board discusses Osterhoudt Flats property

May 19, 2023 | $1.00

PAGE 12

PAGE 6

Protecting Deep Hole: a community enterprise Ann Belmont BSP Reporter "Deep Hole is precious private land," is the heading on the new sign at the beloved swimming hole on Towpath Road. "All who enter here agree to these stewardship agreements." A list of Nos (no fires, no dumping, etc.) and Yeses (Be kind to others and the land, carry out what you bring in, etc.) follows, ending with an emphatic “Leave No Trace” and signed, “The Deep Hole Stewards.”

The sign is there with the permission of Accord resident Dan Getman, who bought the property, he said, in April 2022.

Previously, he related, “It was owned by a woman in Australia. I think she inherited it, I never got the full story. She apparently did not know she owned Deep Hole.

I think the town had tried to reach her many times to talk about coordinating management and parking, and they never could find her.”

Why did he buy it? “That’s a mystery I still ask myself,” he said wryly. “I kind of think it felt like a calling, an opportunity to engage in preservation. So many people

Matthew and Shams Belmont enjoying Deep Hole on a hot summer day.

Photo by Ann Belmont

from so many different places come together there, and most of the time it’s fairly harmonious, and then there are some places where it gets a little dodgy. I don’t

know what the answer to that is … hopefully we’ll evolve a culture of collaboration

See Deep Hole, page 15

New 2023 Marbletown Memorial Day parade route and ceremony location Memorial parades and ceremonies in Rochester and Rosendale Brooke Stelzer BSP Reporter Marbletown Memorial Day Parade will be held on Monday, May 29, assembling at the Stone Ridge Towne Centre plaza at 9:30 a.m. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. along Route 209 and will end at the SUNY Ulster Campus, where a ceremony will be held. This is a new location from previous years. In the past, the parade ended at the Marbletown Community Center and tied up traffic on Route 209.

“The new leadership at SUNY Ulster

Marbletown Memorial Day Parade marching down Main Street, Stone Ridge in 2022. File photo

seems to want to collaborate more with community events, so we thought it would be nice to end it there at their flagpole and

have the ceremony on the campus,” said Kristie Wikane, a member of the Marbletown Veterans Committee. “It solves a lot

of problems – especially parking. For the

See Parades, page 7

Page 2, May July5,1, 2023 2022,, BlueStone BlueStone Press Press

Building giant puppetry in Rosendale What brought you to this area?

Friends living near here had often spoken with me about the wonders of the Hudson Valley. While visiting Rosendale in the winter of ’99, I saw an 1850s two-story, high ceiling, brick building on Main Street. There was a ‘For Sale’ sign posted on the front. A while back, it had been Mulligan’s bus depot, and I later learned that school children used to sit next to a huge radiator in the front office in winter waiting for the Mulligan bus. It looked to Visit the folks me like it could become a good next door puppet theater with its high ceilings, its location in the center of this little town, and it was up for sale. Fortunately, I was able to buy it.

Q&A

Tell us about your family.

I came to the East Coast for college, having been raised in Ohio. My family lived in Dayton. My father ended up in our family’s Clemens Plumbing & Heating business after running away from a possible artist’s career in NYC. That was just before the Great Depression. I think my father’s quiet, inner disappointment inspired me to try to become an artist no matter what.

My older brother became an algebraic geometer, making my mother proud. She had to miss college because of that same Great Depression.

Tell us about your work and why you feel it’s important.

Puppetry can lift the spirits. Giant puppetry can inspire activism to make the world a better place. Beautiful puppetry might release ecstasy like a flower garden on a summer’s day. Puppetry can bypass wordiness to reach the communally held pre-language truths of our existence. I first learned puppetry from the Bread & Puppet Theater in NYC in 1967. I continued on my own in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.

After living in Rosendale for 25 years, I realize that I have lived here longer than I have lived in any other place in my life.

Now all of our projects since arriving in Rosendale in ’99 are converging. These include large puppet street parades, hand puppet shows with skirt-as-stage, and indoor puppet & mask shows. We opened SummerScape at Bard’s Fisher Center with a puppet-dance collaboration that later went to NYC’s Skirball Theater. We collaborated with a Russian composer of note

The three women we admire were firecrackers, setting the world on fire, each in her own way. Sunksqua used her spit plus gunpowder to sign peace treaties in her matriarchal role, calling an end to warmongering that decimated Esopus youth. Sojourner spoke in the way Congolese griots sing from the human heart to inspire overcoming self-centered, greedy passions. Hanna Arendt escaped from the German Nazis, climbing over obstacles to the heights of her own bold thinking without use of a “bannister” for safety.

Amy Trompetter Profession: Puppet Theater Age: 80 Town: Rosendale

to continue work on “Requiem for Anna Politkovskaya,” a reporter killed for writing about the Chechen War. We made huge cardboard portraits to carry in Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Kingston. We worked at the A.J. Williams-Myers African Roots Center with young people on a show honoring Ben Wigfall’s neighborhood work, presenting it at an early My Kingston Kid’s event.

And now we exuberantly are focusing on three local women, Sojourner Truth, Sunksqua Mama Nuchwe and Hannah Arendt. We invite you to join us as we begin a community collaboration in celebration of their lives. This new work is on the shoulders of previous grant support from Arts Mid-Hudson and currently with support from the Rodney L. White Foundation. We invite you to join us at any stage in the development of the piece over this summer and early fall. “Unveiling the Vortex” culminates in a grand, outdoor, large puppet and music performance at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, at the Academy Green Park in Kingston. This large-scale puppet and music outdoor public pageant is appropriate for all ages.

We want to know more about why Sojourner Truth, Sunksqua Mama Nuchwe and Hannah Arendt are important for us today. Our dramaturges include local authors Evan Pritchard, for his groundbreaking research on Sunksqua Mama Nuchwe, and Samantha Hill for her published scholarly work on Hannah Arendt. We are pursuing contact information for our favored Sojourner Truth expert, Margaret Washington.

You have some events planned, tell us about those.

Community puppet making, banner painting and puppet repair workshops are currently taking place at Redwing Blackbird Theater, 413 Main St. in Rosendale.

Please be welcome to our Open House every Tuesday and Friday from 5:30-8 p.m., and Saturday afternoon preview performances and puppet museum tours are ongoing. At the Beltane Festival, 1-3 p.m. Saturday, May 20, the audience can see the puppet scenario in the form of a parade complete with a jolly midwife who delivers three babies: Sunksqua Mama Nuchwe, Sojourner Truth and Hannah Arendt.

This spring and summer we are coming to Kingston and invite participants for workshops, rehearsals and the final performance of "Vortex" in Academy Green Park.

The Rail Trail Café will host three introductory previews with giant puppets and “cantastoria” and music from 5-7 p.m.

June 23, and from 1-3 p.m. on both July 9 and Aug. 6.

We host international and regional visitors plus friends and neighbors throughout February, March and April. Puppet building workshops, banner painting and “cantastoria” rehearsals, plus giantto small-puppet preview performances are continuing in May, June, July 1-15th (closed July 15-30) and August.

Bard students join local residents in early September, and the full company joins in glorious full strength for the final week of rehearsals and performance, with a final show at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, at Academy Green Park, Kingston.

There’s lots going on all year. You can find information on our website, redwingblackbirdtheater.com.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time? I love distance swimming at Lake Minnewaska!

-Compiled by Jeff Slater, BSP Reporter

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BlueStone Press, May 5, 2023 , Page 3

RVSD budget approved Amber Kelly BSP Reporter Vice president Chris Schoonmaker presided over the Rondout Valley Board of Education meeting on May 9, which began at 7 p.m., following a 6 p.m. final budget presentation and meet-the-candidates event for the public.

School business official Alyssa Hasbrouck presented the final budget.

Tax rates listed below do not reflect STAR, and actual tax rates are determined after the real property tax rolls are calculated after taking into account any changes in assessment (prepared by the town assessors). Equalization rates are finalized

by New York state.

Basically, the tax levy is below the tax cap, there are no staff reductions, and all current programs will continue. Program additions include an enhanced agriculture program as well as enhancement of the K-3 technology program.

Hasbrouck said, “We are still planning on doing the extra survey, I just want to stress to the community those data are really important for the budget committee for future planning. Getting the feedback on how you felt about the budget, we do look at those data so I encourage everyone who comes to vote please take the time to give us feedback.

“There’s a rumor in the community that the buses will now be shifted to an electric source of power, so that’s preliminary right now. We had won the EPA school team bus rebate program with First Student as a partnership. Right now, we’re still kind of doing planning on that, so it doesn’t really reflect anything in this budget.”

During committee report time, board member Nicole Parete said, “We’ve had our educational delivery committee meeting earlier today and we reviewed grading, Infinite Campus and what that looks like.

We also revisited our home learning policy and were updated on how that rollout is going. Our next meeting will be focused on the strategic plan. We’ve had an update midyear and we’re getting another update from our building administrators on May 18 at 5 p.m. Then, after that, the committee will have recommendations to the

full board. A lot of work has gone into our committee. I’m very appreciative to our administrators who have done a lot of work for us and given us a lot of information, so we will want to present that to the board.”

Schoonmaker said, “Could you give us a little more color for the grading please?

Because I know we talked about this, you know, over a couple of years. Is this going to be consistent kind of grading policies across buildings, across levels?”

Parete responded, “Right, so the goal was to do that making it more consistent, especially from course to course … if kids are taking the same courses they really like that,” she said. “It would be a matter of homework and the percentage that was weighted for certain items like tests and quizzes and class participation.”

Lisa Pacht, assistant superintendent of schools & operations, said, “Coming out of the homework policy committee, we decided to make sure it was straight lined, streamlined, in regards to consistency. For sixth to 12th grades we’re in generic rating so they are all based on categories, and at the department level they decide what categories and what the rating is, and that gets pushed for the consistency of courses.

“For the K-5 level it’s standards-based curriculum and standards-based report card,” Pacht said. “It has been a change getting Infinite Campus, and after the second marking period we opened that up for students in grades 7 to 12 so parents as well as students can see their in-progress grades, see missing assignments, etc. Next year we will be doing that with K-5 teachers so they can assess students on our standard report card throughout the marking periods instead of just at the end of the year. We have also looked at different courses and the weights of homework and how much home learning is weighed in different courses. We had great conversations.”

The budget vote took place on Tuesday, May 16, and the budget passed, with 502 yes votes, and 238 no votes. Results from the vote for RVSD board of education seats were the top three: 527 votes for Patricia Meoli, 505 votes for Carolyn Peck, 363 for Dean Rylewicz, and 313 for David Bendell.

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Haran Market, Stone House Tavern meet approvals from Rochester Planning Board And more news from Rochester Planning Board Ann Belmont BSP Reporter Planning Board chairman Marc Grasso opened the board's May 8 meeting with a trivia question: What are the six oldest family names in Rochester? The answer: Depuy, Osterhoudt, Hornbeck, Kelder, Bevier and Schoonmaker. He added that Schoonmakers Farm on Garden Lane, over 300 years old, holds the distinction of being is “the oldest farm to have continuous family owned cultivation in the U.S.” First on the agenda, the application for Harana Market at 5125 Route 209, owned

by Eva Tringali and Chris Mauricio, had its public hearing. The proposed market will be a restaurant as well, offering Asian and Filipino food.

Public comments were enthusiastically positive. A woman said she lives “a couple of miles from where the market is now, in the Woodstock area,” and that Mauricio and Tringali “have been just a wonderful addition to our community. They’re community-minded and welcoming.

Their food is great … we’ll be very sorry to see them leave our area, but we will drive down here … folks down here will be very lucky to have them as new neighbors.”

The next commenter said that when she found out about the Harana moving to Accord, “we were so delighted."

Another said, “Our town is a blip on the way to somewhere else. We have these wonderful small businesses ... we could use more people coming in." She believed Harana Market would draw people from miles around.

The last comment was, "I know that their food is very delicious, I also know that they’re very committed to the community they’re in. I can’t imagine more conscientious people.”

Board member Maren Lindstrom read the draft decision prepared by Grasso, conditional approval for a “multiple-use, indoor and outdoor seating market restaurant," mentioning all the conditions that need to be met: Dark Skies compliant lighting, sound levels to not exceed town code, DOH septic and water requirements, parking, and more. Conditional approval was granted.

Next on the docket was the Stone House Tavern at 4802 Route 209, Al Roberts and Linda Bradford, owners, applying to continue having outdoor dining on the hill in back of the restaurant. After last month's extensive public comment, which was mostly positive except for a couple of neighbors who were bothered by the sound level of the outdoor live music, there was nothing further said when the floor was opened.

The draft decision for Stone House included stringent noise requirements – the penalty for violations could extend to removal of amplification equipment.

Acoustical curtains, sound-dampening flooring, and orienting the stage toward 209 were sound-mitigating requirements.

Outdoor music will be April-October, on Fridays and Saturdays only. Conditional approval was granted.

Alex Banner's application for a site plan amendment to add a sawmill to his property at 2919 Lucas Turnpike generated a lot of discussion between the board, Banner and David Church, the town's planning consultant. Banner, who has a woodshop on the property, explained his plans. "There’s a small area at the bottom of our property, a little under a half acre,

that we’re proposing to put gravel on. The sawmill is a portable style sawmill like you tow behind a car … there’s no permanent structure, no lights, no utilities [needed], there’s no change to the landscape besides adding gravel. It’s primarily a one-man operation." Open hours will be Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. “The closest homes are on the other side of the stream," he estimated about a half mile away.

He will have five solar kilns, which he said were like "a greenhouse on a pallet," to stack freshly cut wood. "It stays in the solar kiln six months, and then it’s on its way.” He was granted a building permit, apparently by mistake, and has already started putting gravel down, but he needs planning board approval before doing anything further.

Board members asked him about the noise level of the shredder. “It’s a putt-putt twostroke motor,” he answered, like a chainsaw or lawnmower. He described how the saw works, one cut at a time, built to handle logs only up to 20 feet long. “It’s slow, there’s no mass production.”

However, the Acorn Waldorf school, a preschool, is on a neighboring property, and this complicated Banner's application. He supplied the information that "there’s a fence. For whatever it’s worth those kids are on my property every day.

My kids go to school there. They go to the creek, the field ...” Lindstrom asked, “Do we need to think of fencing around the sawmill stuff?” and mentioned liability issues. Banner replied that the kids never come over in that area. “They have no interest in the bottom part of the property.” Board member Anne Marie Maloney pointed out that it’s the school’s responsibility to keep track of the children during school hours.

Banner was not open to Grasso's suggestion that he think about moving the sawmill site to another place. Church commented, “I would not want this next to the school. It’s dangerous – seriously dangerous. They are noisy, they are dangerous, anything could happen.” He suggested either putting it somewhere else or maybe having “some kind of buffering or screening.” Lindstrom added, “You’re going to run into problems because Lucas is a scenic byway” and without screening of some kind it could be seen from the road. “Why don’t you just fence it in?”

Grasso said it could be "a 5-foot chain link fence,” or (Banner did not like the idea of chain link) a wooden stockade fence that high, or other material. “I would love to put a tree line along the property line,” Banner remarked.

There was also the issue of sawdust and gas fumes. The board asked Banner to hire a professional to make a noise test to determine the decibel count when the sawmill is running, “so we can see what mitigation if any is required. We'll see if it meets the code. You’re probably fine," said Grasso.

Inness LLC, the “luxury hotel and resort” on Bank Street, Accord, brought in an application to build a new utility barn for extra storage. Inness representative Nadine Carney, from Peak Engineering, said she thinks it will be a prefab metal building. She added that there is already a utility barn and parking at the proposed location, and no new driveway is needed.

Board members suggested screening with vegetation “so the people across the street don’t end up looking at a utility shed.” The application was set for a public hearing in June.

Wild Lands Holding Company, owned

by Michael Fink and represented by Bob James, has a proposal before the board for a four-lot subdivision of Fink's 61-acre property fronting Rock Hill Road. James

Stone House Tavern and the site for Harana on Route 209

said that, in response to board recommendations, he had revised the property lines between the proposed lots, and that their archaeological study for possible Native American artifacts will be ready by next month. Church had some comments, mainly around possible impacts on an endangered species of bat. Fink will be required to confer with DEC about that.

Seasonal tree-cutting rules probably apply.

Mountain Laurel Way is the name of a company owned by Austin Sweeney proposing a three-lot, 34-acre subdivision off Schroon Hill Road. Matthew Towne was his rep at the meeting. “It’s currently vacant, wooded land,” Towne explained.

"There are DEC wetlands on the eastern side of the site, and there’s core habitat as well. Austin proposes to divide the property into three single-family lots,” with a shared driveway fronting Schroon Hill Road. “The lots will range from 6 acres to 23.6." The proposed shared driveway would follow an existing logging road.

“The applicant proposes to place over 29 acres of the site into a conservation easement … that’s over 85% of the site."

Maintenance of the shared driveway will be deeded to each landowner.

Grasso, who had studied the layout, said, "I think your application is good, it’s right-minded, but there are a couple of things … you mentioned conservation easement. Easement or area?" (In one case a third party administers it, in the other case the landowners own it in common.) "The second thing is, I think that the lots, based on the core habitat that Rick mentioned, the buffer where the water is, I think the lots could be better situated. I have made a map of what I think would look better, with minimal changes to the application.” He passed it around for Townes' and the board's inspection. Jones' comment was about an extra driveway on the map. “Access to the road should only be from the shared driveway. You don’t need additional access for any of these lots off the main road.” There was more advice on how to reconfigure the lots to avoid the core habitat area. Grasso said he would schedule a walk-through for the board and Church to see the site in person so they can get a better feel for the proposal.

BlueStone Press, May 5, 2023 , Page 5

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Flats from page 1 absolutely nothing for three years. Open Space Institute will continue to pay the taxes on it. They'll continue to pay insurance on it. The only thing is we don't get to do anything with it. We can't improve it. We can't really touch it. So as a board, we're going to have to make a decision.

Do we want to borrow the money and pay it off as this transfer tax money comes in?

We're applying for a $600,000 grant, which we really feel that we will be able to get some of it, if not all of it. This really meets the criteria of what the state is looking for … depending on the timeline, because the grant is due, and this is why we have a little bit of a rushed-up timeline. The grant application is usually due the third week of July. So we can't apply for the grant unless we're in contract to purchase it. So we want to be in contract. We have three years from that date to purchase it.”

Davenport said, “So I'm putting together an email to the other board members because I understand, because I do have reservations and things. Because I know that there is most likely a majority of people that are supportive of this that you really need to look at as you're putting this contract together. Because there are issues inside of the transaction this large that can come back and really bite the town if we don't deal with it upfront. And the rush thing seems to me to be alarming. It's our timeline, not theirs. That's how I would look at it. And like I said, I'm just putting this together as general information so that it's questions everybody can ask.”

LaFera said, “I would say, although this is new for us, it's not new for OSI, and I'm sure that it's almost like a boilerplate for them at this point. I mean, not that we won't look it over and address any concerns, but I'm just saying this isn't inventing the wheel for them.”

Davenport responded, “I understand that. They will be well equipped, and OSI will understand exactly what's going on, and we are not to that level. That's the only reason I point these things out.”

Parete said, “OK, you make a great point. I just do want to say that Daisy [Foote] and I have had since January … since we knew the referendum passed, this transfer tax was in effect, we knew OSI was interested in that property. Since last fall, we've been meeting once a month, Daisy and I, with OSI, our lawyers, Paul Kellar … I don't know if you know Paul.

Paul's a real estate attorney that's worked with OSI for years. He has been excellent, and he's been a great leader for us, and he

plays real pretty good hardball. This has not been rushed, so I'm just getting it's not been rushed. I got it an hour or two ago.

A proposed agreement that I'll share with everybody. It'll be public as soon as we set the public hearing.”

Davenport said, “I will give that to the board so that you guys can take a look at them and things that I would look at if I were supporting it, which I'm not.”

Parete said, “Our restrictions are going to come from what the preservation law tells us we can do as a town. So OSI has done title searches, land surveys, and phase one environmentals, they have done all that at no cost at all. Anyway, we feel like we're somewhat well protected, but we'll talk and I'll get you all the information.”

Davenport responded, “I am telling you that I can at least divorce myself from the situation to where I'm asking you what I would consider to be logical questions that I would ask in this transaction… I'm not against the park. I am against the process of the way it was being done " Parete responded, "So we'll have this discussion more, but I'm hoping we don't have to. But there is three weeks till our next board meeting because there's that odd week. So it's June 6. There may be a chance, if everybody's available, that we'll have a special meeting one night to call a public hearing if we are running up against this time. I'm hoping we don't have to do it. But there's a small chance, and with the credit card thing, too, they will not start … because I told them I can't sign a contract until the Town Board gives me approval, and I need a Town Board resolution.”

Vivi Hlavsa asked, “Is it your decision to purchase the Osterhoudt (property), or does it go back to the general population, as a public proposal?”

Parete responded, “That's another great question. So we're bantering that around with our lawyer. Right now, there are different sections of the law about when there's a referendum. It wouldn't be a mandatory referendum. It would be permissive, which means people in the community would have to get a certain number of signatures. Our lawyer’s opinion is, to sell property is subject to a referendum, a permissive referendum. To purchase it is not. He also made the argument that since this was passed in a referendum, that it gives the town the ability to do it anyway.

Like anything, our laws sometimes are ambiguous, and somebody could sue us, and then a judge would decide if we were doing it right. Paul said right now he doesn't believe, when you purchase property, you need it – only when you sell it do you need the referendum.”

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Committee to raise money for Briefs MCC gaining support for repairs Registration opens Slater for SUNY’s newest Jeff BSP Reporter microcredential: The ongoing efforts to save the Marbletown Community Center and get the Pet Sitting, Training needed repairs are moving forward. Rich Parete, town supervisor, and Ev Mann of and Grooming Marbletown Multi-Arts met and secured For anyone who loves working with animals, SUNY Ulster introduces a new microcredential, Pet Sitting, Training and Grooming. In this microcredential, students will learn key skills and knowledge needed for pet sitting, training and grooming services. Students will also learn how to successfully start a business to offer these services and the business skills they will need.

Microcredentials are short programs that provide relevant skills needed in today’s marketplace. They take less time to earn than a degree or certificate, achievable in one year or less. Once the requirements of a microcredential are achieved, you are awarded proof in the form of a digital badge that can be added to your resume or LinkedIn. This microcredential is composed of four to five classes totaling between 9 and 12 credits. After the completion of this microcredential, students will be able to analyze strategies for dealing with pet behavioral issues, identify grooming tools and demonstrate understanding of their uses, and create a business plan for a pet business including start-up costs as well as the ongoing costs of running a pet business.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “About 80,900 openings for animal care and service workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.” In addition, animal care and service worker employment is projected to increase by 29% from 2021 to 2031. As the number of pets in households rise, and travel becomes more accessible, there is an increasing need for animal caretakers.

To learn more about the Pet Sitting, Training, and Grooming microcredential visit SUNY Ulster's website or contact Admissions at admissions@sunyulster. edu or 845-687-5022.

that the money raised will be earmarked for the repairs.

“Rich Parete has confirmed that the town can accept donations and is setting up a separate account for these dedicated donations,” said Mann. “They are tax deductible so folks can simply write a check made out to the town,” said Mann, who is on a committee working to raise funds for the MCC. Parete said, “Donations to the town for the Community Center will be put in a separate account and will only go toward Community Center repairs. We have to do emergency repairs to the roof and then replace the entire roof in the fall. I am concerned about the cost. Ev always puts Marbletown first, he cares about the community and is working hard to raise money to help defray the costs of repairing the building.”

The committee is working on several fronts to raise money. A FUNraiser is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at the MCC. Nancy Plumer, committee member, said, “We are having an online auction, which will go beyond the event.

We will have computers at the event for people to bid. At this point we have a few musicians for the event, and Ev is working on more. We are exploring a GoFundMe page. We are collecting auction items that people can donate. Food, music, meet your neighbor and a short program and a few speakers will be at the event. Ev is working on a flier with co-sponsors and more information.”

“The wine tasting to benefit the MCC date is TBA,” Mann said, “but will be sometime in June. Stone Ridge Wine & Spirits is donating 10% of its sales.

We are still lining up sponsors, but thus far we have Stone Ridge Wine & Spirits, Stone Ridge Orchard, Marbletown Seniors, HHC [Holoistic Health Community], High Meadow School and Marbletown Multi-Arts, SahasraYoga.

Chris Silva is going to donate tickets for UPAC-Bardavon, and Elizabeth Ryan of Stone Ridge Orchard will be providing food and drink for the event,” Mann continued.

“I’ve always enjoyed the concept of a community gathering place in Mar-

Photo by Thomas Childers

bletown,” said Tim Sweeney, co-owner of Stone Ridge Wine & Spirits. “When I served on the Town Board, Councilman Terwilliger spearheaded the effort to partner with the American Legion to create the Community Center. By pledging 10% of the proceeds from our June wine tasting Laurel and I are happy to help contribute toward offsetting some of the costs of rehabbing the building.

It certainly is a great resource for our town.”

Cornelia Wathen said, “I am representing the HHC on the committee led by Ev Mann and Nancy Plumer to raise money for the MCC. We love the Community Center and use it at least twice a month to offer free holistic healthcare sessions to the community

and to offer free holistic self-care classes and workshops. The building stands at the heart of the Marbletown Community. It is our wish to see the necessary repairs done and to have it remain as a beautiful resource for our work and for the community as a whole. Community is an essential ingredient of health and well-being, and the Community Center brings us together in so many ways.”

“Our work for the MCC is about love … the love of our community, the organizations that have gathered there and continue to gather there and have created connection, learning, fun, healing,” said Plumer. “The absolute and precious and sacred events that have taken place at the MCC – memorials, spiritual gatherings, parties and celebrations, AARP tax support, Wild Earth, High Meadow, Stone Ridge Library and so much more.

The MCC is the heart and soul of the community, its location, its history and its purpose. We need to support the repairs and the maintenance of this beloved space.”

Mann said, “The organizing committee is greatly encouraged by the response of local individuals and business.

It is abundantly clear that the MCC is a beloved gathering space and that folks are ready to step up and help preserve it for future generations. We are confident that we can raise the funds necessary to not only repair but revitalize this important community resource.”

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BlueStone Press, May 5, 2023 , Page 7

Rosendale putting 1 million in NYClass Thomas Childers BSP Reporter The Rosendale Town Board meeting was held on May 10 at the Rondout Municipal Center in Cottekill. Supervisor Jeanne Walsh, councilmembers Joseph Havranek, Carrie Wykoff, Ashley Sweeney and Molly Muller attended. Joel Friedman from NYClass* gave a presentation on an investment opportunity for Rosendale.

Friedman said, “NYClass has been around since 1989. It’s a local government investment program, so it’s a cooperative.

So everyone in the state who’s eligible – you have to be a municipal corporation – so anyone who’s eligible pulls their money together. Right now, it's over nine, close to nine and a half billion dollars in assets. Last year was about three and a half billion, so it's grown quite a bit. A lot of the reason is the rates have risen a lot, and it's very much like a money market mutual fund …

“These are designed for municipalities, and it’s safety first, so taxpayer money … has to be safe. So safety is followed by liquidity, and then diversification and yield, sort of in that order … On the safety side, it is rated AAA by Standard & Poor’s, which is the highest rating for principal stability. Meaning you put your dollar in, you get your dollar back … So, the same way you're going to go to a bank, and your bank will give you collateral beyond the $250,000 FDIC insurance, you would get a collateral statement from us on a monthly basis showing you all the collateral for the program. You guys get a prorated share of that card.

“And the auditors around here know us very well,” Friedman continued. “In most counties as well. We actually work with about 35 different counties. Ulster County

Parades from page 1 people marching in the parade, it does extend the route a bit, but it offers a relief to the congestion on 209.”

The Veterans Committee recommends that people park at SUNY Ulster and walk the College Connector Trail to Main Street to view the parade, and then walk back for the ceremony at the flagpole on the SUNY Ulster Campus. Rich Parete, town supervisor, will speak, and there will be musical performances by local youth.

“We are thankful to the SUNY Ulster community for allowing us to celebrate Memorial Day on their campus and also for the opportunity to showcase the new College Connector Trail,” said Wikane.

“We are looking to grow our annual parade each year.”

The Marbletown Veterans Committee is looking for organizations, clubs, businesses, bands, groups, etc., who are interested

itself is not in it at this time but they are considering it ... You just use this program to hopefully earn some additional money.

And it’s fully liquid, so it helps with liquidity because it’s 100% liquid every day, meaning you want to put a million dollars in, and tomorrow you decide ‘I need it back,’ you get it back (as long as you do it before noon). The money is protected by a couple of things. One is, if it's Treasuries that we're buying, which is about 55% at any given time, it could be 50, 60, whatever those are ... if the government were to default – and I know there's this whole debt ceiling thing, but this has gone on 70plus times, and the government is not just going to default because then you have all sorts of chaos, right, if they didn't pay their debt at all – … So on $1 million, for the month only, you would have earned $3,863 … actually, and I just did the calculation now, it's actually about $4,000 now, so $4,000 for each million dollars. So if you had $4 million, that would be $16,000 every month … That’s based on the rates right now. Rates just went up again last week. So you’ll see our rate continuing to slowly climb. The Fed might be done now, we’re not sure, but the Fed could be done.

And if they are, you might even see it go the other way by the end of the year or early next year.”

Havarnek asked, “In your experience with the company, since ’89, have they ever taken a loss?”

Friedman responded, “Never. So the company, NYClass … every participant has been paid out upon redemption, as long as they get it in before noon, because that’s the cut-off time. Otherwise you have to wait for the next day for your money.

Wire is same day, ACH is next day, you can have your money. And NYClass is always paid out. You put your dollar in, in participating in the parade. For more details or to register, contact Jill McLean or Jess Phelan at 845-687-7500, ext. 170, or email youthandrec@marbletown.net for the application.

“We welcome folks who'd like to march in a group, participate with a float, horses, classic cars, Jeeps, …,” said Wikane.

The Veterans Committee is always looking for new members to grow the veteran community in Marbletown. The committee is dedicated to recognizing the sacrifice and service of the town’s veterans and their families and to leverage local, state and national agencies for the betterment of our veterans. The committee focuses on honoring and recognizing veterans through publication of awards and milestones, organizing a yearly veteran's celebration, provide a clearinghouse of information in order to link veterans issues with organizations that can help, encourage employers to provide job openings to the committee to advertise visibility to veterans, publicize veterans activities to promote awareness, as well as promote

Joel Friedman from NYClass gives a presentation with Joesph Havranek following.

Photo credit Thomas Childers

you’re always paid out that full dollar plus whatever interest – it was low during several times, 2008 to ’15 and also during the pandemic.”

Havarnek asked, “How do you make your money?”

Friedman responded, “The way that we make the money for the cooperative is through what’s called an expense ratio.

So, up to 15 basis points, which is .15%, that's it. That pays all the fees for the entire program. The custodian is U.S. Bank, that’s where the money is held, pays for that. It pays for the technology, the marketing, etc. So, as an example, if our rate were 5% today – it's a little lower, but let's just say it's 5%. The overall yield of the whole portfolio would be 5.13 because it's actually about 13 basis points. So 5.13 is what those Treasuries are yielding that we're buying.

And then 5% is what you guys all get. So the net yield that I quoted before, which is 4.86 today, that's what you actually get. So just add 13 or 14 on top of that. It's about 5%. So that's a spread. That's how the veterans benefits and local exemptions. “It is our hope that we can find more volunteers to help us to bring back some of our long-held traditions, specifically the hot dog picnic and community fellowship after the ceremony,” said Wikane. Reach out to any of the committee members for more information: https://www.marbletown.net/marbletown-veterans-committee.

Rosendale Town of Rosendale/Tillson American Legion Post 1219 will be hosting its annual Memorial Day parade and service to honor veterans, Monday, May 29. Step-off will be at 10 a.m. at the Tillson Firehouse, at 5 Tillson Road. The parade will continue through Rosendale and finish with a service at 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, at the intersection of Main Street and

money is made.”

Walsh asked, “You're making the money on the investment basically, right?”

Friedman responded, "So basically those securities that we're buying, and we're getting them really cheap because we have such buying power, so it's something that if you went out to buy those you wouldn't get that kind of yield, most likely.” The Town Board unanimously gave Walsh the authority to participate in NYClass and expressed interest in putting “approximately $1 million into NYClass.” * From the website newyorkclass.org: New York Cooperative Liquid Assets Securities System (NYClass) is a short-term, highly liquid investment fund, designed specifically for the public sector. NYClass provides the opportunity to invest funds on a cooperative basis in short-term investments that are carefully chosen to yield favorable returns while striving to provide maximum safety and liquidity.

Route 32 in Rosendale. For more information, call 845-658-9921.

Rochester Accord Fire District Memorial Day Parade and Remembrance Ceremony The Town of Rochester will be holding a Memorial Day remembrance ceremony at noon Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, at Veterans Park, Accord Town Hall, 50 Scenic Road, Accord.

A parade, hosted by the Accord Fire District, will step off at 1 p.m. from Town Hall and travel down Scenic Road and Main Street in Accord. The remembrance ceremony with refreshments will follow at the Fire House, at 22 Main St. All are invited to attend. Local clubs and organizations are welcome to join in the parade by contacting the Accord Fire District at 845-626-2231.

ULSTER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY presents a

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Sat, June 3, 2pm (Rain Date, June 4) Marbletown Park, 350 Tongore Road, Kingston

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Step back in time and see how base ball was played 150 years ago when the Kingston Guards take on the Saugerties VBBC. Food & beverages available.

Bring chairs or blankets. For more info: ulstercountyhs.org or call 845-377-1040

845.901.9579 • gkiersted@yahoo.com

Major support provided by ULSTER SAVINGS BANK in Stone Ridge

Page 8, May 5, 2023 , BlueStone Press

Board discusses municipal Briefs parking lot and FOIL policy Sky Lake Meditation Center presents ‘Unspoken Word, Love, Longing & Letting Go’

Celebrating the publication of his book of poetry, Mitch Ditkoff will be reading selections while Steve Gorn and Barbara Bash will respond musically and visually, 7 p.m. Sunday, May 21, at Sky Lake Meditation Center, 22 Hillcrest Lane, Rosendale.

There is a $10 donation at the door.

Books will be for sale.

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Rochester held its Town Board meeting on May 7, with Mike Baden, supervisor, and councilmembers Michael Coleman, Adam Paddock, Charlotte Smiseth and Erin Enouen attending, as well as town attorney Marylou Christiana.

The town’s municipal parking lot law passed 12 years ago but was never filed with the New York secretary of state, so there is no effective law on the book. A new local law would need to be implemented since no law currently exists. The board will hold a workshop meeting to update and clarify the old law before drafting and passing a new law.

“To clarify, I am not giving anyone permission to park there. People do not need permission to park there overnight since there is no law,” Baden said. “I have not allowed anybody by permission to park there, contrary to statements made … You saw a gentleman walk in tonight and ask me for permission, and I said I couldn’t give that to you. So I am not giving anybody permission, nor have I given anybody permission to park there overnight. But also, we have no mecha-

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nism to police it, to enforce it … I think we have to have a discussion about this whole thing, about the parking lot itself … I just want to be clear because there have been a lot of statements made that are not 100% factual,” said Baden Later in the meeting, Baden said, “The Freedom of Information Policy … The background on this is we have been getting a lot of FOIL requests, 20 or more a week. People are ‘foiling’ for everything and anything, information or documents.

Town lawyer Christiana said, “This document is state law, so we cannot change it.”

“What this does is take the state law, and it is more understandable, and they can hand this policy to them when they file a FOIL,” said Baden In other announcements made at the board meeting, Baden said, “Ulster County Public Auction will be online on

June 13 at 9 a.m.. Anyone who wishes to can consider bidding on County properties that the county has secured due to non-payment of three years of taxes. You must be preregistered by 5 p.m. on June 12. It is not being held at the college as it has in the past. It is only online. The good news is Rochester only has four parcels that are up, and two of them are very, very tiny parcels that I’m guessing they're just something that somebody has acquired over time due to a death … They are under a quarter-acre size parcels.”

Discussing the assessor's office, Baden said that there is “$21 million in new assessed value in the town; the bulk of those are 30, probably closer to 40, new constructions. Last year we put $18 million, so it’s approximately a 5% increase in the assessed value, so come budget time, people should be pleasantly happy with the addition.”

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RV Seal of Biliteracy program flourishes Gives students a great experience and new opportunities Biliteracy students Baron, Menena Spanish Bartolone, Emily Spanish Blandon, Shana Spanish Bowles, Dylan German Cardinale, Cady Spanish Fallaha, Kyle Arabic Ferri, Gabby Spanish Fraser-Gross, Fiona Spanish Henza, Taras Ukrainian Heyl, Mackenzie Spanish Kinsella, Izzy Spanish Lawlor, Jake French Messina,

Joseph Spanish Mondini, Audric French Olivieri, Alex Spanish Pharmer, Seneca Spanish Picuri, Ellis Spanish Pileggi, Marley Spanish Rosen, Asher Spanish Samko, Jack Czech Schoonmaker, Riley French Sickler Avery, Aria Spanish Sindt, Caitlyn Spanish SutherlandRoth, Alma Spanish

The Rondout biliteracy group of students. Photo by Joe Reeder

Jeff Slater BSP Reporter The NYS Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to high school graduates who have demonstrated a high level of proficiency in English and one or more World Languages. The NYSED website says, “The intent of the NYSSB is to encourage the study of languages, to identify high school graduates with language and biliteracy skills for employers, to provide universities with additional information about applicants seeking admission and placement, to prepare students with 21st century skills, to recognize the value of language instruction and to affirm the value of diversity in a multilingual society.”

The program was first implemented at Rondout Valley High School during the 2020-2021 year. To be involved in the program, students must submit an application by Nov. 1. They are paired with a mentor who helps them with research, producing writing samples, and practicing for their presentations. Presentations take place at the end of April.

“This year RVHS had 24 students present projects,” said Victoria Robertson, a Spanish teacher at RVHS and Seal of Biliteracy coordinator, “and 22 of them scored on the level needed to earn their World Language points to meet the criteria for the seal. Twenty of those students will have the seal added to their diplomas, and the other two, who are juniors, are on track to earn their seals next year. The topics ranged from studying artists and styles of art, to music, to cooking to environmentalism and sustainability to skiing, fishing, Pokémon, fashion, earthquakes,

field hockey and social media. Many of the students chose to produce something as part of their projects: Emily Bartolone made flan, Alma Sutherland-Roth made Tarta de Santiago, Marley Pileggi cooked Aztec dishes, Fiona Fraser-Gross wrote and performed an original song, Abby Tuttle created a collage called ‘El Arbol de Sostenibilidad,’ Menena Baron sewed a dress, Ellis Picuri performed flamenco music, Izzy Kinsella painted a self-portrait, Gabbi Ferri painted various paintings and Asher Rosen performed on his drum set.”

This year the presentations took place during the week of April 17-21.

The students are also supported by the Seal of Biliteracy Committee, which is made up of Victoria Robertson (program coordinator), Patricia Abi-Hassan (World Language teacher), Robyn McDonough (English teacher), Rebecca Horowitz (ENL teacher), Alison Klein (school counselor), Tom Martelli (administrator) and Jim Sullivan (former teacher and community member). To celebrate their accomplishment, they were surprised with a breakfast celebration on Friday, April 28, before being notified of their results.

Robertson said, “I am extremely proud of every single one of our students. It takes years of dedication to achieve this level of proficiency in a language. I think the Seal of Biliteracy is an extraordinary and essential program which allows our biliterate students to receive the recognition they deserve. It is truly remarkable to see how much our students grow and learn to be able to get to this point, not only in their ability to conduct research, public speaking, dedication to carrying

out goals, and their constant self-reflection. It’s incredibly impressive what these students have accomplished.”

Abby Tuttle said, “I think for me, the Seal of Biliteracy was one of the greatest opportunities that I have been given in high school. The Seal of Biliteracy definitely means a lot to me and my work in the future. I hope to use the seal to help communicate with people in my future job. I also hope to continue to improve my Spanish speaking and intent to travel a lot to different Spanish-speaking countries.”

“I knew that Czech was a rare language, especially in the U.S.,” said Jack Samko, “and it was kind of a reach to keep the language spoken in my own way. My teacher Ms. Robertson was a big factor in me doing the Seal of Biliteracy. I was torn on whether to do it or not, mostly because of my lack of confidence in being able to execute the project and presentation. She believed in me and gave me confidence to go through with it and helped me along the way by telling me I could do it.”

Marianne Hawryluk, who works as a mentor in the program, said, “This is the second year I was honored to be a mentor in the program to a student that was attempting the seal in Ukrainian language. This year I worked with Taras Henza. Taras was born in Ukraine and moved to the U.S. in fourth grade. He was completely immersed in language at

school and learned English. He successfully completed all the components of the seal. In his final presentation, titled ‘Fishing in Ukraine,’ he spoke of his love of fishing that started in a small fishing village in Ukraine, with his father and grandfather. It was heartwarming.”

“It was important for me to take part in the Seal of Biliteracy this year,” said Henza.

“My Ukrainian heritage is very dear to me and my family. As I get older, I realize how special it is knowing another language and having a rich culture. I am proud to embrace it.”

The NYS Seal of Biliteracy is an accolade awarded to those students who demonstrate a high level of proficiency in English and another World Language. To earn this award, students must present a research project to a panel of evaluators and be interviewed - all entirely in their target language! It takes years of language study for students to get to this point. Students applied in the fall and have been working with a mentor on their research projects for several months. Presentations in front of evaluators took place during the week of April 17-April 21st. This year 23 seniors and 2 juniors presented their projects in 6 different languages, hoping to meet the criteria for the Seal.

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Page 10, May 5, 2023 , BlueStone Press

Memoriam Belle Anne Waite

WAWARSING—Belle Anne Waite died on May 2, 2023, at home surrounded by her loving family. She was 67.

Belle was born in Yonkers on Sept. 15, 1955, to James and Florence (Hetzer) Olson. She married the love of her life, James Waite, on Feb. 15, 1987, and settled in Wawarsing.

Belle worked for many years babysitting. She loved children and being a part of their lives. She loved her dogs, Midnight and Snowball. Belle’s other passion, besides her family, was nature.

She loved being outdoors hiking, loved Waite plants and the ocean. Besides her husband James, Belle is survived by their son, Justin Waite, and his wife, Katie Worth, of Hurleyville; and by her sisters Lucille “Candy” Quick and Deborah “Deb” Havranek. She was predeceased by her sister Florence Cook. Funeral services are private. Arrangements are under the guidance of Humiston Funeral Home, Kerhonkson. (www.humistonfuneralhome.com)

Gordon ‘Mike’ Eaves

ACCORD—Gordon “Mike” Eaves passed away on May 1, 2023, with his loving wife by his side. He was 70.

Originally from Troy, Illinois, he is the father of Zach (Terri) Eaves and Zoe (Scott) Lewis and the grandfather of Canyon Lewis and Tanner and Tristan Eaves. Mike retired from US Steel in Granite City, Illinois.

He was an avid golfer and enjoyed watching football. Mike married his wife, Susan Feth Eaves, on Jan. 15, 2010.

They moved to New York in 2016 and he continued his passion as an amateur Eaves photographer as well as golfing. He enjoyed spending his days at Standing Rock Farm and his afternoons drinking beer with the old boys. Mike was born on May 17, 1952, in St. Petersburg, Florida. He is the son of the late Joe and EvaLee Eaves and the brother of the late Kirt Eaves.

Mike is also survived by his beloved wife, Susan, and her children, Nicholas Weig, Zachariah (Amanda) Weig and Sarah (Brian) Hoornbeek, along with their children.

Memorial visitation was on May 17 (Mikes's birthday), followed by a funeral service officiated by the Rev. Aaron Schulte. Cremation will be held privately. (www.GJMoylanFuneralHome.com)

Timothy (Tim) Dousharm

STONE RIDGE—Timothy (Tim) Dousharm, 71, a former Stone Ridge resident, passed peacefully with his family by his side, on Dec. 11, 2022, in a hospice facility in Statesboro, Georgia. Tim is survived by his wife, Laura Fowler, and his daughters Joyce Cain (Abe) and Sara Troeger (Eddie Jasinski), both of Stone Ridge. Tim is also survived by many sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews that he loved dearly. Tim had four grandchildren who he was so proud of and loved so much: granddaughter Calista Cain and grandsons Isaac and Dousharm Abram Cain and Camden Troeger. A memorial visitation to celebrate his life will be held 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at the George J. Moylan Funeral Home Inc, 2053 Route 32, Rosendale.

A time of sharing memories will begin at 1 p.m. (www.

GJMoylanFuneralHome.com)

Roberta E. Sommer

KERHONKSON—Feb. 12, 1925-April 30, 2023. Roberta E. Sommer, 98, is survived by her sister Joan Pearson and her five children: Susan (Sommer) Pomerantz, Stephen Sommer, Nancy (Sommer) Taylor, Leslie (Sommer) Alexander, and Laura (Sommer) Perry, and her dearly loved 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Henry Sommer. She Sommer was dearly loved by her family and friends and wrote one last poem.

Life was so very good to me It gave me all of you to keep me company.

So put on those smiles, put those tears from your eyes, I leave you these words to ponder on ...

Remember each other when a holiday's in view Remember each other when a birthday is due!

Remember each other in their time of need.

A Memorial Gathering for Carolyn Hansen in Marbletown Carolyn E. Hansen, 75, a longtime attorney in Stone Ridge who was active in political and healing circles, passed away Dec. 14, 2022, after a valiant battle with cancer. Smart and playful, down-to-earth and a woman of the world, she was similarly at home in rural Wisconsin and in Taipei, Taiwan, where she lived and worked for nearly 12 years. She resided in Stone Ridge for 20 years.

She was born April 17, 1947, daughter of the late Gilbert and Arlyne Hansen of New Holstein, Wisconsin. She graduated from Hansen New Holstein High School in 1965 and from the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh in 1969, with a B.S. degree in political science and international studies. In 1972, she graduated from the University of Michigan with a J.D. in international and comparative law as one of few women in her law-school class. In 1973, she graduated from the University of Brussels, Belgium, with a Master of Laws, or LLM, in international and comparative law.

From 1974 to 1988 she served on the legal teams at S. C. Johnson & Son, Racine, Wisconsin; Schering-Plough Corp., Kenilworth, New Jersey, and Ralston Purina Company, St. Louis, Missouri. During eight of those years, she was a security-cleared adviser to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Deptartment of Commerce on international trade negotiations.

From early 1988 to late 1999, she practiced law in Taiwan. As Hansen International Company Limited, she represented North American and European firms doing business in greater China and elsewhere in Asia. Also in Taiwan, she established both the 'Cause that's the time your support is welcome indeed!

Remember the happy times spent together 'Cause time passes by like the wind blows a feather.

Above all remember I love each of you dearly I had a long run and enjoyed it sincerely!

A family gathering will be held in her honor in June.

If you wish, make a donation in her name to a charity of your choice. (www.scanlanfuneral.com)

Carmina Di Santo

ACCORD—With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Carmina Di Santo of Accord. Carmina passed away on May 13, 2023. She was 90 years old. Carmina was born on April 15, 1933, in the village of Sambuceto in Bomba, Abruzzo, Italy. She was the beloved daughter of the late Mauro and Santa. She is predeceased by her sister Maria, and Antonio. Carmina has joined her devoted husband of 71 years, Raffaele, who passed away in July of 2020. Carmina is survived by her two sons, Berardo Di Santo and Domenico Di Santo, Domenico’s wife, Maria Graziella Di Santo, her mother, Jacqueline Davi and late husband Giovanni Davi, Di Santo and her siblings, Vito Davi (and family), Salvatore Davi (and son), Jacqueline Davi, and her companion, Eric Clearwater. Carmina is also survived by her loving grandchildren Carmelina Rega, and her husband, Claude Rega, Jacqueline Di Santo, and her fiancé Ryan Brennan, Gabriella Di Santo, and her fiancé Cameron Meyer, and Alexandra Di Santo. Carmina adored her beautiful great-grandchildren Mason Clearwater, Cassano Rega, Luca Rega and Seraphina Rega. Carmina is also survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews. Carmina came to the United States in March of 1967. She and her husband settled in Yonkers before fulfilling their American dream of owning a home and land in Accord. Their

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Earthplace Foundation, which brought sustainable development information to that country, and the Taiwan Business Council for Sustainable Development. And from 1992 to 1996 she served on the Democratic National Committee as a representative of the Democrats Abroad in Asia.

Returning to the U.S. in late 1999, she settled in New York's Hudson Valley, eventually residing in Stone Ridge, where she practiced law and participated on national and international panels of mediators and arbitrators involved in dispute resolution.

While in Taiwan, she developed an interest in energy healing, which led to several degrees from the Barbara Brennan School of Healing. She was a member of the governing council of the Holistic Health Community in Stone Ridge during its first five years and offered sessions of Brennan Healing Science at its monthly Healthcare Days. She served on other boards of various nonprofit and professional organizations in the Mid-Hudson region, including the Stone Ridge Library Foundation.

She was an astute student of national and local politics, served as chair of the Marbletown Democratic Committee and ran for a seat in the Ulster County Legislature in 2019. Throughout her career, she published many articles and spoke often on Asian, U.S. and European laws governing trade, intellectual property and sustainable development. In her free time, she enjoyed her friends, family, pets, hiking, painting and piano.

Celebrate all that she was, all that she did, at this memorial gathering, 4-6 p.m. Sunday, May 21, at the Marbletown Community Center, 3564 Main St., Stone Ridge. Bring an offering of appetizers/finger foods.

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

stone home in Accord, skillfully built by hand by Raffaele, overlooks their lake, vineyard, farm and gardens, filled with fresh vegetables Carmina loved to use in her cooking.

In Yonkers, Carmina worked as a seamstress, developing one of her many skills and pleasures, sewing and clothing design. She adored creating custom designs for herself and for those around her. Carmina loved performing “surgery” on clothing and always found a way to reuse any clothing item, from skirts and stockings, down to every last piece of elastic. Her granddaughters will always remember the way her face lit up when they brought over clothing to be expertly fixed or adjusted. Carmina learned to cook back in Italy when she was just a young girl. She was known for her delicious recipes, especially her homemade meat lasagna, her tomato sauce (made from scratch), her tasty pastries, and her sweet, jarred peaches. Carmina knew that the one thing that always brings people together is a home-cooked meal, filled with love. She made sure, no matter what, that everyone was able to enjoy a meal together – including always cooking a personal-sized vegetarian lasagna for her granddaughter who doesn’t eat meat! Her passion for cooking brought together her family and community for decades and will be remembered by us all. Carmina lived a full life surrounded by her family, and built a loving foundation for her family and instilled strong values in the lives she touched. Carmina showed us all how to live courageously and how to show no fear in life. She was incredibly bright and was always there to share important life-lessons for any situation. Carmina showed us the true meaning of strength and was always resilient, even through the toughest of times. She was humble. She was kind. She was giving and loving to all. Ti vogliamo tanto bene. Ci mancherai, mamma e nonna. Visiting hours were on May 18 at HB Humiston Funeral Home, Kerhonkson. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, May 19, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Kerhonkson. Burial will be in Accord Rural Cemetery. To send personal condolences to Carmina's family, please visit humistonfuneralhome.com.

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Page 11

Stone Dock Golf Course moves toward environmental sustainability Opens cafe, featuring local food with a global flavor Chelsea Miller BSP Reporter Stone Dock Golf Course is a little slice of heaven. Tucked away just outside the center of High Falls, the gently rolling hills meet the Rondout Creek and at every turn a vista awaits. For decades, Stone Dock has quietly proved to be a staple for local golfers, and under the ownership of Francis and Jennifer O’Donnell Stone Dock, it’s (ahem) on course to become a destination for ecologically conscious golfers and foodies who value bold flavors and knowing where their food is coming from. A labor of love, Stone Dock is testament to the dedication of the O'Donnells, who are passionately transforming all nine holes of the course into a thriving hub for golfers and nature enthusiasts alike. With a rich history, a commitment to sustainable practices, and a newly renovated café that will feature local food with global flavors, Stone Dock is ready to welcome both golfers and the community.

The story of Stone Dock begins with its founder, Thomas Davenport, a member of the renowned Davenport farm family of Stone Ridge. Davenport, a farmer, landscape designer, naturalist and artist, built the course in 1969 on one of the family’s corn farms. The original clubhouse was crafted from 19th-century hand-hewn timbers of a barn that once graced the property. In 1999, tragedy struck when a devastating fire consumed the original clubhouse.

However, the clubhouse was soon rebuilt with a functional design (and considerable sweat equity), positioned on a plateau, offering panoramic views of the course and the landscape that holds it. “The location of the clubhouse on the plateau gives it the perfect vantage point to see the golfers arriving, setting out on the first hole and returning on the ninth, where the cafe overlooks golfers finishing their last putts,” says Jennifer. “The cafe faces the sunset, which is usually quite dramatic here because of the cloud formations in the Rondout Valley between the Gunks and the Catskills.”

Located on the banks of the Rondout Creek, Stone Dock gets its name from its proximity to the D&H Canal, where barges would load bluestone destined for shipping down the Hudson River. Over the years some things changed, including the addition of modified A-frame homes that abut the course. Some things stayed the same, however, namely those breathtaking views of the Shawangunk Ridge and Mohonk's Skytop Tower, spanning 68 acres that Stone Dock seamlessly integrates with the natural landscape, incorporating waterways, ponds and a diverse range of wildlife.

The grounds serve as a refuge for deer, turtles, groundhogs, rabbits and a variety of beautiful bird species. For the most patient of wildlife observers, reclusive bears, foxes and fishers have been spotted.

Francis O'Donnell, the president and chief operating officer of Stone Dock, brings a wealth of agricultural knowledge and experience to the course. Having studied agriculture at the University of Delaware and managing a 1,000-acre farm on Maryland's Eastern Shore, he is no stranger to the land. Before becoming co-owner of Stone Dock, Francis served as a superintendent at the course for 15 years. Jennifer O'Donnell, the chief executive officer, is an urban and regional planner with a passion for conservation and sustainability. Her expertise in environmental protection and social equity has proven invaluable in shaping Stone Dock's future.

The O'Donnells purchased Stone Dock in February 2021 and faced the mounting challenges that were posed to the course during the pandemic. Francis, known for his mechanical gifts, revived the fleet of tractors and mowers, ensuring the course received the care it needed yearround. Additionally, he designed infrastructure upgrades to enhance playability, including drainage and irrigation systems, added several new tees, expanded greens, and increased the number of sand traps and bunkers.

The O’Donnells also began putting in place a commitment to organic practices and sustainability. While many golf courses resort to chemical solutions, Stone Dock embraces a more natural approach, allowing wildlife to thrive. The course has faced its fair share of environmental

Francis and Jennifer O’Donnell Photo by Chelsea Miller

challenges in recent years, including three “hundred-year floods” in the last two decades alone. As a continuation to their commitment to collaboration and community, the O’Donnells have been quietly (and sometimes not so quietly!) working with entomologists and soil scientists, to address the soil health of the course and are developing partnerships, projects and programs with local schools, universities and nonprofits. Some of the exciting fruits of these efforts include a climate-resilient approach to soil health that will be piloted this season utilizing compost and compost extracts/teas in collaboration with the Community Compost Co. and an event on Mother’s Day weekend: “17 volunteers planted approximately 320 trees and shrubs along the course’s shoreline, as part of the Trees-for-Tribs program run by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation,” says Jennifer. “The course has nearly 5,000 feet of bank along the Rondout Creek and sits in Zone A of a FEMA 100-year floodplain, where about 75% of the land has been inundated so frequently that it has deposited silt and inorganic material that pose challenges to the soils.”

They both see the course as an opportunity to learn and share best practices and sustainability with the community.

While Jennifer has enjoyed many facets of bringing Stone Dock back to life, the renovation and opening of the Stone Dock Cafe has held special meaning, and as a result the cafe space has undergone a bright and welcoming transformation. The bar has been reconfigured, a lounge space added, and the kitchen has benefited from an expansion to accommodate their culinary aspirations. Accomplishing the renovation took a village, including friends and trusted contractors, but when it came time to design Jennifer took the helm. Jennifer opted for upcycled furniture for the cafe, including lovingly refinished beautiful oak pews from a 1960s church and repurposed maple chairs that once graced Gigi's Trattoria in Rhinebeck. And the sustainability didn’t stop there. The tables were built using wood harvested from the course and rough cut at local sawmills. Energy efficiency and climate-smart upgrades were integral to the renovation. The O'Donnells have incorporated Energy Star appliances to improve efficiency. Additionally, the kitchen will be implementing composting practices to reduce solid waste. They are also now installing electrical vehicle charging stations that will be available to the public and guests alike.

When it came time to staff the cafe, the O’Donnells set out on a quest for exceptional professionals who shared their welcoming attitude. “Our first hire was Bryan David Kee, an incredibly gracious person who will be our bartender and manager,” says Jennifer. “He lives in Kripplebush and worked at the Mohonk Mountain House as their dining room supervisor when he found us this winter. He is going to be the ‘glue’ of our cafe operation. He is so easygoing and kind. His prior experience includes working for

renowned chef-restaurateurs Jean-Georges and Wolfgang Puck.” The management team is rounded out by two experienced local chefs. Executive Chef Shane Walsh, a Rosendale native, is returning to the Hudson Valley after gaining over a decade of valuable experience at notable cafes in New York City. Sous chef Cheyenne Banks, who recently relocated from Sullivan County to Ellenville, has rapidly risen through the ranks at another large local restaurant and has a passion for cooking that began in childhood.

The menu at the new Stone Dock Cafe offers a blend of comfort food and fine dining, leaning heavily on local purveyors and pulling inspiration from around the globe. Guests can look forward to options such as fresh, grass-fed beef burgers and lamb sliders, hand-cut fries accompanied by a garlicky aioli, and hot honey wings served with homemade tzatziki and zatar spices. The menu also offers several vegetarian and vegan options and will extend to evening in summer with a range of delectable and seasonal dinner options and specials. Looking ahead, the O'Donnells have plans to develop a "kitchen garden" that incorporates permaculture principles, enabling them to serve homegrown ingredients in the cafe.

A soft opening is scheduled during the week of May 22, and during that time the Stone Dock Cafe will initially offer a "lunch-all-day" menu before transitioning to an evening schedule and introducing additional programming later in the season. The O'Donnells have already secured a lineup of tournaments at the gold course and are thrilled to begin the season by hosting the Ulster County government's Green Business Innovators of Ulster County Awards Celebration on May 26.

At the end of the day, the O’Donnells see Stone Dock as a community resource – a place to enjoy the game of golf, savor the beauty of the landscape and gather with friends to break bread. “Jennifer and I love to welcome people,” says Francis. “We have created a feeling at the course where people feel welcome already, and we hope that the restaurant will be an extension of that in the way the food, staff and space make people feel at home.”

Stone Dock Golf Course is located at 12 Stone Dock Rd in High Falls. The course is open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily March through mid-November. For more information, call 845-687-7107 or visit stonedockgolfcourse.com.

Full Nursery: New Plants

Because our landscaping division is so busy, we actually have a full nursery very early in the season! Victoria brought in all her favorites for projects, so stop by and be inspired by all the fresh stock from our growers. custome said to us, “I come Last week, a customer every week, and I’ve never seen it like this!”

It is still very early in the gardening season.

Mid-May is when the the planting season begins in earnest. At Victoria Gardens, the nursery is full, full, full! With thousands of unique varieties that will thrive in our climate. Our knowledgeable staff sta will help you find the perfect plant combinations, so you only have to plant once!

It is her extensive experience and constant searching that allows her to curate so many vari-

Page 12

Athletics, recreation & fitness

May 5, 2023

Varsity girls softball team heads to playoffs with high hopes after successful campaign Jeff Slater BSP Reporter After a 9-4 regular season, RVHS girls varsity softball team is headed to the playoffs.

Colleen Parete, girls coach, said the team could play as early as Friday, May 19, or Saturday, May 20. Sectional finals are May 26 and 27 at Middletown High School.

“The season started out a bit slow due to so much rain,” Parete said. “We had two scrimmages canceled due to field conditions. Our first regular schedule game wasn’t played until April 13 against Lourdes. Constant rain kept us practicing indoors for over a week straight. That gets old quick, as it’s not the same as being outside on the field.”

The team is made up of three seniors, four juniors, four sophomores and one freshman.

Last season the team went 9-5.

“We have several talented players,” Parete continued. “Abbie Naccarato and Taylor Decker are our power hitters. Caitlyn Sindt is a solid pitcher and has been on the team since eighth grade. She pitched the section-winning game back in 2019 as an eighth grader and last year’s section win versus Minisink. We have good speed in the outfield, with Joleigh Kozack in centerfield and Sophia Johnson in right. Our infield is pretty tight with Erin Parete at short and Lauren Schoonmaker at second base.

Ginna Tisch does great behind the plate.

Nothing gets by her.

“Our infield is pretty solid, and good defense is the key. It also helps that the girls get along well and can work together.

Our newer outfielders have improved a great deal. I can see a level of confidence that wasn’t there at the beginning of the season,” said Parete.

The team has had some big wins.

“Our best game was at NFA [Newburgh Free Academy] this past Friday. We ended up winning 17-10 in eight innings. We were so evenly matched that we just kept going back and forth. NFA struck first with a 4-1 deficit, but Rondout answered back in the top of the 5th tying it up at four apiece.

Rondout fell behind again in the bottom of the 6th by two runs but regained the lead in the 7th inning. NFA tied it up 8-8 in bottom of the 7th forcing extra innings. Our bats stayed hot in the top of the 8th and NFA couldn’t answer. I’d rather play a game like that any day over winning 15-0. It’s just great ball.

“The top team in the league is Marlboro.

They have always been difficult to beat … we lost to them two times this season.

Minisink was undefeated when we faced them in the Lou Bucci Friendship Tournament on May 7th and ended up winning 1-0. We were missing two seniors that day, so we were proud of the outcome,” said Parete.

As the team heads to the playoffs both players and coaches are confident.

Sophia Johnson, #36, being congratulated by her teammates for a solo home run at Saugerties in a 16-8 victory under the lights at Cantine Field on April 21.

“I think that our past successes and our future successes are all a great example of what can happen when the whole team puts the work in the off-season to be able to show up for their team when the times comes,” said senior captain Gianna Tisch.

Caitlyn Sindt, senior captain, said, “I feel confident in my team going into the post-season knowing that we have such a strong bond and will always have each other’s backs.”

“Our past successes and experiences

have shown that the team as a whole is determined to work hard and put the time in to win and be successful,” added senior captain Abbie Naccarato.

“Coaches (Boyd Vaughn is our assistant coach) are confident that the team can bring home another state title. It will take hard work and focus,” concluded Parete.

Checkout the school website for when the playoff games start.

Good luck in the playoffs. Go, Ganders!

Goal accomplished ... Girls lacrosse becoming a RVHS varsity sport Jeff Slater BSP Reporter After having a JV lacrosse team this season, Rondout Valley High School will have a varsity team next season for the first time ever.

Jeff Panek, Rondout’s athletic director, said, “We are excited to be adding girls varsity lacrosse to our spring sports teams.

We have several talented student-athletes that are looking forward to competing in lacrosse at the varsity level over the next few years. Our boys program has had much success with Coach Tocco since he built the boys’ program, and we will now have that same opportunity for our girls.”

Kate Mcpeek, the girls’ future varsity coach, said, “This program was pioneered

by Kiersten Waruch, a Kerhonkson Elementary School counselor who played lacrosse for UCNN. I had the honor of being recruited for head coach by Kiersten in 2020 and I have never looked back. This is our third official season, and I am grateful and proud to be taking these girls to the varsity level.”

The team consists of 20 players that range from seventh to 10th grade. The team has played eight games this season and have won four and tied three, with one loss.

About the anticipated move to the varsity level, Mcpeek said, “Coach Waruch developed a feeder program when our athletes were younger. My first years of coaching the girls included 24 players! Our athletes

Girls JV lacrosse team. Photo by Teresa Carlucci

participate in training camps and travel teams in the off-season. I attend coaching conferences and clinics.

“Given the vibrant boys’ lacrosse team, it was only natural that interest develop.

The girls are excited to bring our team to the final stage. They are responsible for establishing and placing the foundation of what promises to be an elite program. We will be a young varsity team, but this group of athletes are ready!”

There have been obstacles along the way.

“Officials were few and far between when I had our modified team,” Mcpeek said.

“Even with our JV team this year we missed out on a game because there was no one to officiate. We grew from practicing on a tiny

patch of grass three years ago to full field scrimmages five or six times a week, today.”

The team has five captains who are the oldest members of the team.

“They have been here from the beginning. These five demonstrate leadership skills, sportsWOMANship, high academic performance, kindness, focus, humor and drive,” said Mcpeek.

Sophomore Sophia Bolin, who plays goalie, said, “It is amazing how far this team has grown on and off the field in the past three years. I’m excited to see where a varsity team will take us.”

Sophomore Kendell Erlwein, playing middle and attack, said, “I am so lucky to be a part of an amazing team and also a

family. I think we definitely have what it takes for the varsity level, and it will give us a great opportunity to see what we are capable of.”

Halle Meoli, who plays defense, said, “It has been so great being with this team from the beginning and I’ve loved watching us grow into the team we are now. I am also excited for varsity next year because I think we will even grow more.”

Sophomore Addie Eck, who plays defense and attack, said, “It has been such a privilege being able to play on a team that started from scratch three years ago and watching each player grow and perform to the best of their ability now. “ Sophomore Gwen Tuscanes, who plays middie, said, “I remember our first year of modified, we were struggling to find our place, and now we’re able to start a varsity team that I think will do very well. I think what’s different about our lacrosse team is that we all enjoy playing with each other and always have fun at practice. It’s nice to see everyone grow as a player and to see this program grow. “ Mcpeek is excited about next year, “The exuberance and the enthusiasm are contagious. The future is bright. There is unlimited potential. The sky is the limit. I am humbled to be a part of the fantastic athletic department at Rondout. Here we go!”

Go, Ganders!

BlueStone Press, May 5, 2023 , Page 13

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Your letters, views & ideas

Page 14

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.

May 5, 2023

Memorial Day List

Thank you!

To the Editor: Just a small note of “THANKS” to you for including a spot for our High Falls Spring Cleaning Day. We had about 35 volunteers, including quite a few nice families and children, to help clean up Main Street and the Rondout … we are sure that your mention in the paper [on page 22 of the Calendar of Events in the May 5 issue of the BlueStone Press] helped with the turnout, since there were so many activities going on last Saturday [May 6].

Richard & Carole Eppley The High Falls Conservancy High Falls

How long can this continue?

To the Editor: How long can this continue? All year long, people in this area lose power when trees fall on overhead electrical lines. Until the central power utility restores service, Internet goes offline, well water stops pumping and, in winter, heat shuts down.

Researching this letter, I discovered that the central power utility has been complaining for decades that it’s too costly to transition their power lines and bury them safely underground.

What seems expensive is their cost given how dirty, unreliable and potentially hazardous their service is.

Even so, public subsidies have recently been approved to replace old lines that have not been upgraded since they were originally erected in 1928. Partly funded by the New York Power Authority and National Grid’s $1B Smart Path Connect Transmission Project and authorized by Governor Kathy Hochul, evidence of the program, called H&SB, recently materialized in Kripplebush.

Over the last few weeks, contractors working for the power utility have been installing new 45-foot timber poles and stringing up new lines made of aluminum, not copper. Aluminum is cheaper than copper, but everyone knows you get what you pay for. Aluminum wire is physically weaker and corrodes much more easily than copper. Oxidized aluminum wire can easily cause fires.

If we know anything about technology, it's that it quickly becomes obsolete, and centralized power utilities are not immune to this fact. Significant advances and tax rebates for solar energy, geothermal and home energy storage units are finally making personal energy generation a reality. Solar panel costs have dropped from $20 per watt in the 1970s to 20 cents per watt today and solar panel efficiencies have increased from 10% to 22%.

Geothermal power taps the cool air naturally circulating 5 feet below ground and sends it into your house. By

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harnessing the constant year-round temperature of 5053 degrees, geothermal eliminates the need for air conditioning in the summer. In winter, a home only needs to be heated an additional 17-20 degrees to achieve a comfortable indoor temperature of 70. People are now using geothermal to heat their pools.

Only available in the last several years, a home energy storage unit is a rechargable batterpi pi nncasoy that stores electricity for on-demand self-consumption and 2-3 days of backup power.

Rather than wait for help from the public utility or from someone in government, our energy problem can be solved by ourselves with our own spend.

When people think about energy independence as "off-grid," they’re missing the point. Energy independence increases the re-sale value of your property. Energy independence guarantees a reduction of greenhouse gases. Energy independence means we can all have our own inexhaustible source of clean energy, created onsite, stored and managed by ourselves, for our families and for future generations to come.

Jim Gleason Accord

Help curb plastic pollution To the Editor: There are two very important bills under consideration in the current state legislative session. The Bigger Better Bottle Bill (S.237 and A. 6353) seeks to update New York’s antiquated 5-cent deposit to a 10-cent deposit and to provide support to agencies to handle what should be a huge influx of new deposit returns.

Equally as important is that the legislature pass the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act (S4246/A5322) introduced by Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Glick this session!

New York's Climate Scoping Plan (Dec. 2022) calls upon the state to pass a Packaging Reduction and Recycling bill in 2023, and that is now! Every legislator, regardless of party, should care about the environmental and health impacts of plastic pollution and incineration that continue to burden our communities and overwhelm transfer stations and landfills. This is not something that can wait. The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act goes hand in hand with the Bigger Better Bottle Bill to move New York state to the forefront nationally to phase out single-use packaging, remove toxins in plastics and to invest in reuse and refill stations and recycling and composting infrastructure removing the burdens of these changes on our small businesses and consumers. These two bills together will do much to help us locally by drastically reducing the amount of waste we all fund through our taxes to truck to Seneca Meadows, to begin to push back on the enormous amount of plastic pollution of our water and soil and to reduce the litter we find on the side of the road.

I call upon Senator Hinchey to co-sponsor these bills, get them on the floor, not allow amendments that allow for false solutions such as so-called “chemical recycling” and pass them before June 8th!

Jim Sullivan Rosendale

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

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BlueStone Press, May 5, 2023 , Page 15

Garlic truce Dear Wally: On a recent date with a person of romantic interest, we were cooking together and garlic was a necessary part of the meal. Knowing that we would likely be making out later, I took a risk by trying to hide some of the garlic to subtly reduce the amount being used, but I think they were on to me. Is there a good way to handle this discretely or less dangerously in the future?

– Anonymous Dear Anonymous: You think you are anonymous! Ha! We can smell you all over Ulster County. Also, I bet your every move was watched, so “subtly” may not be the right Wally Nichols word …?

I find it interesting that as I’m writing this that there is a miasma of garlic swirling about my fingers from last night, despite proper Covid-rated hand washing protocols. It lingers like a rude guest who long ago missed the cue that it was

Dear Wally

time to go home even as the lights were turned off and the front door locked.

It wasn’t clear from your letter that you were concerned about YOU offending or whether you were worried about BEING offended. And, it doesn’t really matter because they are different sides of the same coin, which in this case is an ineffective breath mint shaped like a coin.

There is some science around the salubrious health benefits of garlic, though I suspect your derring-do was not sliding garlic away from the recent meal prep because you were worried about your partner being too healthy …? Safe to assume (from at least 10 feet away and a charcoal filtered battoulah) that you were more concerned with the breath part. Legit, if it’s unilateral.

In nuclear weapons-driven geo-politics, there is ill-conceived concept of mutually assured destruction wherein all the super powers keep doom-hoarding in their atomic larders* so that either side can guarantee that everyone x4 on the planet will be killed if the vicissitudes of international twitchy finger Presidential button-pushing go to the dark place. Def don’t want the *enemy* to survive a nuclear war, do we? So everyone (including EVERYONE but excepting cockroaches) gets annihilated. *As a result of assorted unmanaged global arms races

Deep hole from page 1 and conversation."

Once upon a time, you had to live around here to know about Deep Hole. No longer, thanks to the internet. "It appears on numerous sites that are dedicated to calling out swimming holes and things like that and making them public," Getman said. "The information on them is often false. One of the main sites claims it’s state-owned land and that there are rangers … People come up and they think their tax dollars are at work and they can leave their trash behind and somebody’s paid to clean it up and why are there such lousy services here? Well, it’s private land, and there is no budget except what I put into it to try to keep it open and accessible to people. Those funds are not inexhaustible."

Deep Hole denizens will be happily surprised to find that Getman has had a parking lot constructed across the street from the stream. "It’s our hope to take things one at a time, first making the parking and traffic situation safer," he said. "That’s the first thing in bringing order to the chaos. It lets traffic go through there undisturbed, it keeps kids from running out from between parked cars. Hopefully it will also keep people from dumping trash along there, which is a quite serious problem.”

One wonders at the psychology of people who appreciate beauty enough to make a trip to Deep Hole and then leave ugliness behind them, but there always seem to be a few, creating an issue for Deep Hole's owner and for those who love the place.

Melissa Hewitt, speaking for the Deep Hole Stewards, a band of community volunteers, said that they were ready to deal with each situation as it arises. "Depending on what comes up, like, how do we deal with people leaving poop on the path, or leaving their garbage? It’s an ongoing conversation." While the stewards will be monitoring from time to time, what they hope is for everyone to be a stew-

Having refreshing swim at Deep Hole. Photo by Ann Belmont

ard. "You’re agreeing, if you want to come on that land, to follow those rules, and you’re also agreeing to remind people kindly that this is what this land is about.”

This will be first season the sign is up, so nobody knows yet how well it will work to improve people's behavior.

“Optimally, everyone who comes there will respect the space, respect each other," said Hewitt. "Understand what 'Leave No Trace' means … It’s going to be a learning curve, because so many people that come don’t know the basics of how you act in nature. It’s about education, and

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involving intercontinental ballistic nuclear-tipped missiles (I DID grow up in the ’80s and well, there is, sigh, always North Korea), I have 13 days of long-range, survival-mode, canned baked beans and plant-based chili (!?!?!), thus adding additional, off-label meaning to the term ICBM. In a less destructive way, both people eating garlic almost forge an unspoken mutually assured destruction pact – a truce of sorts. There must be some mathematical formula to illustrate this concept of equilibrium, but basically 1=1 just as 10=10. So, according to the book of More Man, as long as ye both shall eat the same amount of garlic, ye both shall be exculpated and everything should just stay neutral in terms of mutual destruction, but just scaled to the size of the clove. Or something like that.

I say let the garlic flow (yay health!) and (if need be) let the partner go. Hopefully, though, it’ll work out and I’ll just see you both at the Garlic Festival!

– Wally Got a question about how to ruin a relationship or over-season a meal, email our advice columnist at cwn4@ aol.com.

it’s a day-to-day process. Now there’s the parking lot, but there’ll have to be open and close times because, since the lot has been there, people just go and leave their garbage there. It’s like, 'Oh great, a place to dump our garbage!'

How is this even possible?" she said. "So that means someone has to open the gate and close the gate. What happens if someone gets locked in? These issues, how can we fix them in the most holistic way? It’s not easy!" She laughed ruefully. "It’s really about respect, you know. How do we respect the land and how do we respect each other?

A lot of the things on that list of yeses and nos, it’s just really basic respect ... It’s going to take time,” she concluded.

Dogs as well as people frequent Deep Hole, and their owners may be surprised by the "No Dogs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m." rule on the new sign. Hewitt's answer to the obvious question was, “Because there were so many dog fights that were happening. People are going to be bothered by [the new rule], but it was a real problem. That had to be handled, because it can be dangerous."

To facilitate communication with the community, she said, "we’re working on a website, we’re going to have a Facebook page so that people can have an outlet, where people can say, 'I saw this today'… stuff like that." Information will be posted at Deep Hole when those sites are up and running.

Getman said, “People have a lot of deep feelings about Deep Hole. I welcome people getting involved with us, helping to figure out how we as a community keep a place like this open, clean, safe and beautiful forever. It’s a form of collective stewardship that we need to create from the ground up."

“There are so many beautiful stories I’ve learned," he said. "People get married there, older people who as kids used to come there, now their kids and grandkids come.

That kind of stuff is just so amazing. You know, I drive by it every day, and I see people meditating in the stream … people create artwork and fairy houses … It’s beautiful.”

To contact the Deep Hole Stewards, go to DeepHoleKeepers@gmail.com

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Page 16

May 5, 2023

Linda Law, artist and visionary Ann Belmont BSP Reporter Some people become research biologists. Some become artists. But there is a special place called holography at the intersection of science, technology and art, and that is where you'll find Linda Law. Law is a High Falls resident. “I’ve lived a lot of places in the Hudson Valley, but I always come back to this area.

I’m living on the Gunks. For me, that’s a dream come true," she said, smiling.

Law's eventful biography begins in England, where she grew up and attended Cambridge University as a biology major. Though she loved biology she hated her courses.

Unfortunately, she said, “In England, once you were on a course that was it. You couldn’t change." So she became a research technician in the immunology department at Cambridge, which led to another research job at Stony Brook on Long Island. “I sailed to New York on the QE II,” she recalled. She worked at Stony Brook for about six years, but it was obvious that opportunities for women in the field were extremely limited. “There was one woman in the whole department…. I didn’t see any future for myself in that.”

Then came a day which changed her life. "In 1975, I was working in the biochemistry department, doing research on hemoglobin," she said. She'd heard about holography and was intrigued. "I went to an exhibit at the International Center for Photography, and the first hologram I saw was of a hemoglobin molecule! That whole show totally blew me away. It was a huge sign to me: This is what you’re meant to do." From that day forward, Law never deviated in her determination to become a hologram artist. “I would take courses at the NY School of Holography, drive all the way from Stony Brook and drive back at night. I was obsessed.”

A hologram is essentially a three-dimensional image that can be seen without 3-D glasses. We all see a hologram every time we take out a credit card, a tiny shiny imprint that's used as a form of security. But few people have actually seen a holographic work of art because there are so few places to see them. It was not always so.

The first holograms were made in 1962 by scientists, and in the next decade, it took off as an art form. “By the ’80s there were exhibitions happening all over the place," recalled Law. "There were three museums of holography, and schools of holography around the world.” In these early years, holograms were made using silver halide, a substance that reacts to light, produced for photography

by Kodak, Agfa, Fuji, and all the big companies who made photographic film in the pre-digital age.

Eventually Law left Stony Brook and started working as a photographer, having picked up some skills in the bio lab processing images taken with an electron microscope.

Soon she met her husband (she's now divorced) and they moved back to England, “which turned out to be good timing for me, because the holographic community in London was taking off. … I was working as a rock ’n’ roll photographer at the time, so I was on the music scene, supporting myself doing that while I was making holograms." Her first holography gig was a residency at City University in London in the physics department.

She returned to New York in 1981 to take a position as assistant director at the Center for Optics, Lasers and Holography at the NY Institute of Technology.

"At the time it was the facility in the world for computer graphics” Law said. “They invented many of the techniques for computer animation that are now standard practice. I had five or six years at NYIT ... I worked for a couple of years as the curator of the Museum of Ho-

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Hologram by Ana Maria Nicholson, co-founder of the HoloCenter

lography in Manhattan. Then I had about 10 years as a teaching artist, making holograms with kids."

But trouble was brewing for hologram artists. “Mid’80s, a new technology was invented for the mass production of holograms. You probably have one of them on your credit card," tiny 3-D imprints that are a form of security. The photorecordings thus made can be reproduced endlessly. “Now there are hundreds of companies around the world who make holograms for security, and they make millions of them.” Then the digital camera was born. By 2000 manufacturers stopped producing silver halide film, and it became scarce and very expensive, like vinyl records or vacuum tubes. Holographers had no material to work with.

Couldn’t the artists switch to the new process used by credit card companies? “That was secret," explained Law. "They were security, right? That was the whole point."

She moved up to Rosendale in 2002, still working as a photographer. These were dark days for the art form she loved above all others. "There’s a community of holographic artists around the world. And we were still in touch with each other. It’s such an amazing medium. It was very sad … we lost all the museums. One by one all the teaching facilities shut down. They had no tool to record with. Exhibitions weren’t happening." Nevertheless, "I always had hope," she said.

Law has become, you might say, the keeper of the flame. When the Holocenter on Governors Island lost its director and its exhibition space during the pandemic, she did what she could to bridge the gap, taking over as director and curating the Holocenter's website. One very important project is the Virtual Museum of Holography (vmoh.org). "a HoloCenter initiative to design an archive about all aspects of holography," as she described it. She feels a certain urgency about getting this up and running.

"We're losing people." The legacy of the first generation

of hologram artists is also at risk of being lost, as there is simply no repository to house it.

But the wheel turns, and new technology, which once devasted the world of holographic art, now promises to advance it again. Law met a BSP reporter at the Rezny Gallery in Kingston to see a couple of holograms on exhibit by artist August Muth. "These are made with a material called dichromated gelatin," she explained.

Each one contained five or six layers of glass coated with a gelatin mixture and then laminated together. The result is a dark surface from which shapes made of colored light glow, coming to life as you walk in front of them, moving as you move.

Law's eyes lit up as she envisioned the mind-boggling things that technology is making possible for holography.

She described “an 8-foot cube that hangs from the ceiling and has three translation stages that move in X, Y and Z dimensions. The camera sits at the bottom of it and you can program it to shoot lots of different views.” With this, “we can create a virtual museum in the metaverse. You’ve got your headset on and you enter a gallery space, the Museum of Holography … when you ‘walk past it,’ there’s a head-tracker updating your position, and it will send you the appropriate view.”

Besides her personal artistic ambitions, Law is, perhaps first and foremost, community-minded. She and her board of directors are in the process of founding a new Center for the Holographic Arts in Kingston, where space is exponentially cheaper than in NYC. “We’re exploring a building right here on Broadway that has a large basement we would like to convert into an artist-in-residence program,” making holograms with newer, cheaper processes and materials like photo polymer. She expects to attract artists from everywhere, since this will be perhaps the only facility of its kind providing artists with access to facilities to make holograms.

Her vision is trembling on the verge of reality.“ The building we’re looking at has got a 1,600-foot gallery space upstairs. If we are able to get this – and it’s all hanging in the air at the moment – I could have a show in there by mid-July. I have a collection in storage, around 30 pieces from 30 different artists, all recent works from the last three or four years."

It all depends on securing grant money. (One grant just came through from a French foundation for $10,000.)

“Once we’ve established ourselves in the space, then we’re going to be writing all kinds of grants for educational programs for kids for both holography and virtual reality. We’re really interested in working with My Kingston Kids, the Y, the high school – they’re all in this vicinity. We could do after-school programming … kids could be learning the software, making 3-D animations, and getting a foothold into new technology where there are well-paying jobs."

Living in High Falls, close to a hub of artistic and small-business activity like Kingston, is ideal for a visionary like Linda Law. The world of holography already owes her much. The future beckons, filled with possibility.

Linda Law's photography is on view at lindalawfineart. com. For more information about holographic art, visit www.holocenter.org.

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BlueStone Press, May 5, 2023, Page 17

Kudos RVHS Honor Roll Marking Period: 3 Grade 12 High Honor Roll: Menena Baron, Emily Bartolone, Desirae Baumann, Dylan Bowles, Jaiden Buffong, Elise Dymond, Evan Fraser Jr., Fiona Fraser-Gross, Gina Garofolo-Goodman, Mackenzie Heyl, Mackenzie Hubbard, Christopher Jordan, Andrew Kassian, Christopher Kay, Nicholas Kay, Isabel Kinsella, Ella Kormondy, Jake Lawlor, Isabelle May, Isaac Millrood, Audric Mondini, Kayla Oakes, Alexandra Olivieri, Riley Owens, Marley Pileggi, Makalah Quick, Hannah Read, Asher Rosen, Jack Samko, Riley Schoonmaker, Aria Sickler Avery, Caitlyn Sindt, Abigail Tuttle, Skyler Van Kleeck and Nikolas Zocchi.

Honor Roll: Faith Avello, Maria Ayala, Zachary Banks, Brooke Bogart, Byron Bradley, Ryan Britt, Makayla Chapman, Anna Clausen, Freyja Cross, Benjamin Davies, Lucas Dee, Aiden Demorest, Kyle Fallaha, Nicholas Galewaler, Olivia Jeter, Ryan Hornbeck, Olivia Jeter, Noah Johnson, Ameila Lamkin, Morgan LeBlanc, Christopher Lennon Jr., Michael Markle, Landen Mesceda, Brady Morse, Abigail Naccarato, Matthew Peck, David Pennacchio, Miu Person, Seneca Pharmer, Abigail Post, Antonio Rizzo, Lucas Roland, Sarah Roosa, Jessica Sedlak, Liam Sell, John Shultis Jr., John Soi, Alma Sutherland-Roth, Joshua VanLeuvan, Michael Vanorden, Kevin Walsh, Nathan Wright and Reid Wogan.

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Grade 11 High Honor Roll: Merryn Arms, Michelle Avello, Jakob Baron, Shana

Blandon, Jill Creegan, Aidan Davenport, Victoria DeGraw, Adeline Delessio, Amelia Dunphy, Trevor Gilliland, Chloe Goodin, Brayden Hanigan, Sadie Heagney, Sierra Hikade, Finnigan Kenney, Mica King, Luke Kotsides, Giada Labate, Siddhartha Lama, Nicholas Laskowski, Jackson Paley, Ellis Picuri, Maceo Pileggi, Gabriel Schoonmaker, Mackenzie Snair, and Olivia Waruch.

Honor Roll: Django Accardi, Sydney Allen, Hunter Bober, Ethan Bowman, Clifford Bush, Jonathan Chamberlain, Garvey Chiarolanzio, Abigail Chorzempa, Aili Clark, Thomas Clark, Zola Coughlin-Ebert, Richard Cross Jr., Jessica Daddio, Peter Dymitryszyn, David Ferraiolo-Scalera, Rosendo Fontanez, Savannah Freer, Emma Jolly, Jacqueline Kennedy, Ian LaPierre, Caleb Leahey, Justin Nazario, Gabriel Needham, Niomi Perry, Thomas Rearick, Hunter Ridgely, Gavin Rosa, Nora Suszczynski, Caleb Taszak, Emil Weintraub, Nadja Welden and Chase Yark.

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Grade 10 High Honor Roll: Ramona Andersen, Sophia Bollin, Rowan Boyd, Sophia Clark, Addyson Eck, Freja Ermer, Stori Gallicchio, Vivian Gonzales, Joana Koehler, Joleigh Kozack, Samuel Lever, Abigail McGuinness, Halle Meoli, Miles Ouellette, Clara Samko, Kenneth Schade, Lukcas Schaniel, Joseph Soi, Millina Tully, Gwenyth Tuscanes and Anna Weber.

Honor Roll: Kelly Casas, Grace Curran, Julia Deyo, Danielle Driekonski, Violet Elder-Rusciolelli, Kendell Erlwein, Ryan Gillis, Brian Henderson, Devin Jimenez, Logan Keller, Aidan Nolan, Domenic Palazzolo, Flora Parker-Myers, Lauren Schoonmaker, Ava Seablom, Juliana Turner and Madelyn Tuscanes.

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Grade 9 High Honor Roll: John Basten, Fahad Bhuiyan, Evalyse Bradley, Maven Flamhaft, Waylon Foreman, Gabrielle Hart, Kyleigh Healy, Hannah Heijink, Isaac Herman, Henry Hutchins, Grace Kiszkiel, Jack Kotsides, Jacob Kraft, Harris Kyaw, Zi Qing Liu, Camille McMillan, Ruby Ortner, Hudson Paley, Hanna Rylewicz, Jeffrey Ulrich Jr. and Gypsy Wish.

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Merit Roll: Christopher Baumann, Emily Bodie, Serafina Broome, Diego Castro Linares, Ryan Clark, Chloe Coonrod, Kaden

Dennin, Lila Hill, Hailey Kellerhouse, Josephina Kozack, Cecilia Kwiecinski, Arianna Novotny, Ben Pfaff, Gianna St. Hilaire, Kloee Teague, Mia Trumbore, Alyssa VanLeuven and Kayla Vedder.

RVJHS Honor Roll Marking Period: 3 Grade: 7 Merit Roll: Jaxson Bauer, Adrienne Castro, Jackson Davenport, Even Fitzgerald, Jalyssa Garcia, Tanner Girau, Jude Kelly, Daniel Koch, Lucas Ledsome, Michael Lightstone, Dillon Malenski, NovaLee Palmateer, Margaret Schatzel, Abigail Sciarrino, Blake Suitter, Aliza Theetge, Graycie Walsh-Kompass, Rita Warren, Jaiden West, Elinor Zalewski Honor Roll: Jeremiah Bauer, Charles Bissell, Cillian Carroll, Connor Chapman, Olivia Clark, Gordon Clayton, Alaycia Coddington, Goldy Conlin, Audrey Dennin, Antonio Faso, Cole Ferris, Alyssa Gray, Orion Gray, Logan Hasenflue, Parker Jordan, Cora Martinez, Vivian McGuinness, Miles Molitoris, Ella Morse, Sophia Mykula, Oliver Nneji, Aiden Olivieri, Aidan Overbaugh, Waverly Rubin, Madison Shanley, Lola Sherwood, Rowen Sickler Avery, Isaac Tucker, Bruce Ulrich, Morgan Vaughan, Shawna Whitaker, Violet Yonnetti, High Honor Roll: Lillian Brewer, Madelyn Cowburn, Tobin Ermer, Izzbella Gibson, Emma Goodin, Stella Greco, Molly Hasenflue, Jacob Heyl, Luke Johnson, Peyton Kastanis, Lyla Lemister, Hokai Liu, Connor Murray, Jayden Redding, Samantha Schneller, Ella Schoonmaker, Elouise Shea, Nathaniel Stupple, Jamison Wilhelm, Natalia Wisneski, Grade: 8 Merit Roll: Rafael Acocella, Ethan Allen, D’Landre Anson, Ava Barba-Andujar, Connor Beechel, Lucas Bowers, Carlos Camacho-Johnson, Frank Coddington IV, Kiley Davis, Katrina Domitrovits, Alexis Dougherty, James Erichson, Cy Gray, Jillian Gundberg, Madysen Kiersted, Taiyo Kizawa, Alana LeBlanc, Ellis Manny, Isaiah Mercado, Eli Olen, Syler Padusnak, Andrew Quick, Hunner Quick, Jaden Rion, Colin Rowdycz, Noah Schrader, Emma Schwall, Taraji St. Fleur, Laszlo Sterling, Layla Worden, Payton Worden Honor Roll: Bridget Boyd, Kylee Carlson, Aiden Carroll, Rebecca Carroll, James Casey, Amara Catizone, Noah Cody, Chloe Cook, Ansley DePiero, Oscar DiDonato, Izaak Donnelly, Ruby Focarino, Aiden Freer, Isabel Gonzalez, Tyler Harned, Ryan Helm, Joshua LaPierre, Juliana Lunstedt, Jacob Mastrocola, Zachary Mickelson Jr., Lucas Millrood, Adrianna Moran, Hannah Nawrocki, Gage Nogue, Addison O’Donnell, Ava Quick, Samantha Reyes, Julian Santosky, Stephen Schwartz, Jasmin Smith, Ayden Towne High Honor Roll: Hayden Bauer, Caydance Borruso, Hannah Chapin, Jessa Clark, Kailee Hicks, Kadi Holt, Lauren Ivan, Aubrey Jagodzinski, Yarema Kurkevych, Brooke Martire, Antonio Mason, Helena Molitoris, Ugo Nneji,Madison Pfaff, Oliver Roosa-Dunphy, Penelope Roosa-Dunphy, Greta Sutherland-Roth, John Sweeney,Georgia Weinstein

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Page 18

Arts, culture & entertainment

May 5, 2023

Just minty Whirrr, chirr, chunk, chunk. The town’s roadside mower was coming up the road. I ran across the street to ask the mower man to spare the dayliies I’ve planted around the mailbox.

Instead of trying to yell over the loud machine, I stood next to the mailbox and pointed at the ground around it.

Not this, I mouthed, hands hovering above the daylily leaves. To double the emphasis, I shook my head. The mower driver nodded and gave a thumbs-up, which I returned, then ran back to my seat on the porch. The hedge of lilacs hid my view, but I heard the machine whirring past. And then I heard it slow and stop and the driver appeared on the walkway to the house. He was either literally scratching his head or had a head-scratching expression. You know the look. A little confused.

“Did you want me to cut that bit or not cut it?” he said.

“Not?” I replied, with a sinking sensation. Because there was only one reason he’d ask.

“Oh,” he said. And I jumped up and peeked around the hedge, to find that he’d just bald-scalped every green thing I’d wanted him to save.

Darnit. It had been such a nice day til then.

The sky was so blue and the air felt so clean and fresh.

The sweet-voiced goldfinches had just discovered the thistle seed bribe I’d put in the bird feeder, and so had their cousins, the purple finches, and the cardinal

Susan Krawitz

pair as well.

And the top of the plastic jug lodged in the bottom of the downspout to direct rainwater away from the house had just caved in, making an impromptu chipmunk drinking fountain. They’d been drinking from it all morning.

But my daylilies. There would be no flowers on them this summer. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. There was the year someone beheaded the twin bushes at the end of a walkway that I’d been trying to grow into an arch. The time the Central Hudson guys lopped off all the arms of an old apple tree far below the wires. And the spring a loved one on a mowing binge low-mowed all of the spearmint.

As much as the vibrance of natural life can be a great lifter of spirits, its sudden absence can also offer one heck of a downer. I felt anger starting to bloom in the space the lilies had just vacated.

“You know, you can’t grow things that hide where the road edge is,” the mower man said defensively.

“But they were set back,” I replied. “And after they flower, the leaves die to the ground.”

Just a few minutes before, my daughter had showed me robin’s egg fragments that perfectly matched the bluegreen of her shirt.

I’d discovered a pair of wrens were raising babies in the birdhouse I’d fixed for them.

And a tiny, hairy black spider had just fallen (or jumped. Or was pushed?) from the ceiling of the porch and landed adorably on my computer keyboard.

It seems that the more time I spend with natural things, the less interest I have in human drama. But I surely have

the right to flower-power the mailbox on my property without penalty. As I was forming words to that effect, my mind began wandering in other directions. It was wondering why only the brightly-colored birds liked thistle seed. Where the chipmunks drank before that jug caved in. And then it remembered that long-ago mowed mint.

A weird thing happened after its brutal haircut: It grew back better. In two weeks, it was sending up little shoots.

In four, I was snipping them for tea. I was a gardening newbie then, and had no idea that this plant is completely un-discourageable. It’s as hardy as a weed. People rip it out of their gardens because it takes over. But I just didn’t know.

Obviously, the Great Daylily Massacre was a miscommunication. No malevolence was intended. And as it happens, daylilies are the mint of the flower family. They will absolutely be back.

“It’s all right,” I told the mower guy. “It will be fine.”

Before he left the yard, he said he’d let me handle things on the house side of the road edge, where more flowers are crowding. I thought that was a good call. But if he did decide to go rogue and brushhog the tiny spirea bush I planted there last year, the yellow iris spiking through the weeds, and the wild pasture rose about to flower, I hope I stay sanguine.

There is endless resilience in the natural world. And a steadfast insistence on thriving I wish I could model.

The plants will return next year, trying again to grow and flower. Once again, I’ll try to save them from the mower.

But maybe I’ll use a fence.

A town of a different name I have lived in Ulster County for more than half of my life and just realized the craziest thing. Is New York the only state that has so many different names for one place?

Has anyone else noticed this around town? Or municipality? Or hamlet? Or village? Or city? My God! Why does everything have to be so difficult?! Even when describing where you live in New York state. Thankfully, Ulster County has seem to left out townships and boroughs.

Whew. At least some restraint was shown. And, yes, people who want to educate me, I do realize there are rules for each settlement. I have Google, too. So, for the sake of this article, please give me a pass.

I grew up in Kerhonkson, but Kerhonkson is actually the Town of Rochester. So, why do I not say I grew up in Rochester? I have lived in High Falls, Stone Ridge, Cottekill and Krumville, but those are actually the Town of Marbletown. Now, thankfully, I live in Rosendale, which is the Town of Rosendale. I swear. Can I just stay in one dang hamlet, village, town, or city? Apparently not. I can stay in one county, though.

Around town At least for a bit. Because ... yeh … I’m planning on moving again.

I should really just embrace my traveler soul and buy a caravan and a horse. Make it easy on myself. Sigh.

Anyway, seriously though, could we make things any more confusing? Not to mention that you could be driving along, see a town sign, then two blocks later, see another town sign, and then one more, and they all say something different! I was literally in Kerhonkson, and the sign said Wawarsing. My head started hurting.

What if you are new to the area and you see “Town of Rochester.” So, you ask Siri or Google to take you to the nearest coffee shop in the Town of Rochester. Is Siri Google going to tell your confused, caffeine-deprived, lost self to drive four hours, 280 miles up?? It’s nonsense. In fact, now that I am talking about it, I have decided that I am going to start using the word “hamlet” more in my everyday language. I’ll just incorporate it randomly into various sentences throughout the day. It’ll be fun for me.

Speaking of hamlets, towns, villages and cities, I did no-

Kelly Wright

Where am I really? Photo by Kelly Wright

tice that there are a lot of changes happening right now.

I saw new construction, renovations, so on and so forth, everywhere. Some are homes, like that beautiful home in the hamlet of Kerhonkson, Town of Wawarsing or hamlet of Accord. (Not really sure where I am anymore.) That house has been abandoned (I think) for a long time, and now it’s someone’s home. Then the old High Falls Café/ Kitchenette building is getting a facelift. I spoke to the owner, and he said he was going to rent it out as a restaurant on the bottom and apartments on the top.

Which is basically what the building has always been. I am just hoping it’s not more pizza or Chinese food. As I have complained in the past, there are too many of

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those around town.

I also heard the Egg’s Nest was for sale. Well, listen, that’s really sad because it is such a staple in the hamlet of High Falls. I hope whoever has the pleasure of bringing that back to life remembers to bring back the Thanksgiving sandwich. Oh! Maybe the new building across the street can be a true NY sub shop. Like back in the day, when the High Falls Deli would throw a pound of meat between a sub roll and call it a day. Also, add the old PX pizza sub, please. Listen, new renters, if you want to win the locals over, give me a call. I can teach you how to make the best sub ever. It is true and, if I cannot, I know a woman who can. I promise.

Nevertheless, I am glad to see the towns waking up and revitalizing themselves. That is what spring is all about, yes? I am looking forward to what may come and I hope everyone else is, too.

OK. I’m done complaining so I would like to wish everyone, wherever you live, a good Memorial Day. Be safe.

P.S. I’d like to thank Mr. Sutton for the wonderful letter that I like to call “fan mail” even though it was so much more than that. It melted my heart and made me smile. I appreciate your kind words and think of your family often.

BlueStone Press, May 5, 2023 , Page 19

Food with a view Once again, this yum weather has charmed us out of the winter doldrums and led us toward the dreamy outdoor dining that now has the Covid stink etched out of it. For gobsmacking al fresco views, in a DIY picnic atmosphere, I once again find myself aiming for Carmen’s Sabor Latino, which is the permanent roadside Puerto Rican food truck just south of Walmart in Napanoch. You’ll recognize it because of (among other things) the ginormous ersatz (but quite authentic looking) palm trees one wouldn’t normally expect to see so north of the border.

Carmen’s Sabor has done a fantastic job of creating quick and affordable “to go” food that Wally Nichols can (and should) be eaten in the provided Adirondack chairs that gird a few fire pits and that face the Gunx. Yes there is Route 209 traffic, but easily gaze over it, and the mountain vistas deliver. Last year, and hopefully not this year, the headline-grabbing burning ridge was the main show. The scorched earth demarcation is still visible as nature greens itself back. With Ellenville’s regional airport also nearby, it’s fun to eat and watch the single-en-

Put a fork in it

Horoscopes The planets continue to consolidate with only minor changes. Pluto in Aquarius and Mars in Leo are in opposition, while Jupiter, Mercury and Uranus and the low degrees of the Sun are all positioned in the sign of Taurus, hinting strongly about the financial issues our government may be forced to face. The new Moon in Taurus confirms the problem that the debt ceiling in Washington must be resolved to keep the solvency of our country. It seems the stellium of planets in the sign of Taurus affects all of the signs because of its midway position between Mars and Pluto, requiring special attention.

Your Zodiac

ARIES: 3/21 to 4/19: Mars, your ruling planet, is now positioned in your 5th solar house with Venus following in the 4th.

This may well be the start of a Joanne creative inclination for you to Ferdman expand your talent. However, it may be difficult for you to spend the money necessary to begin a new hobby. Be assured the positive signs outweigh any negative ones.

TAURUS: 4/20 to 5/20: Venus, your ruling planet, is positioned in the 3rd solar house of information and education, closely following Mars. Thus, we see that Mars seems to be pushed by Venus to find a way to remain solvent. Money is usually of utmost concern to Taurus, especially now with three or four planets in your 1st solar house.

GEMINI: 5/21 to 6/20: Mercury, your ruling planet, is positioned behind the scenes in your 12th solar house with Jupiter and Uranus as well as the first rising of the Sun. You may not be directly affected by any currency fluctuations. However, your career will be facing other types of fluctuations, dependent upon your level of creativity.

Carmen’s Sabor Latino Location: Route 209 at Clinton Street, Napanoch Style: Puerto Rican Contact: 845-272-1037

gine planes thrust and parry against the late afternoon thermals.

Ordering happens at the service window and then

CANCER: 6/21 to 7/20: The Moon child deals with the new Moon in Taurus on the 19th. Again, it falls in the house that describes income from your career. Mars, the planet of action, is positioned in your 2nd solar house followed by Venus, pushing Mars to solve any monetary discrepancies. Remember, the Sun now shifts to behind the scenes while it finishes its term in the sign of Gemini.

off you go to the patio area to secure the best available seating. The food is bagged up and you head back to fetch it. All this to say that there isn’t table service and that is one of the reasons the pricing is so reasonable.

Some of the entree choices at $13.75 are …

Stewed chicken with potatoes and carrots, pan-fried steak strips with onions, fried pork chops with onions, and the fried chicken cutlet.

The sorullo ($5.75) is an unexpected dessert-like surprise with the shoplifted sweetness of fried cornmeal flanking deep-fried cheese. Also in the “fried delights” category are arellano de papa (a beef-filled potato ball) and the alcapurria (green banana fritter).

The empanadas ($3.75) come with assorted combos of beef, cheese, chicken and veggies.

There are three salad offerings ,which are generous portions for the $6 cost. Macaroni, black bean and my favorite, mamacita, which is beet and onion based. Rice and beans are also available.

Carmen’s is also one of the few local places to serve tropical sodas (guava, mango, etc.), so that’s a serious sugary treat.

Grab the family and make a night of a very easy trip down Route 209 to the tropics. Carmen’s is open 118. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

munication and is positioned in the sign of Pisces. The stellium of planets in Taurus are placed in your fifth solar house of children and creativity. There is no doubt that children add considerable costs to raise and educate but are worth far more than the money involved. Fortunately you are always the thriftiest of souls.

LEO: 7/21 to 8/22: The Sun, your ruling planet, is in the process of entering your 11th solar house of income from your career. Your chart points to a reasonably fine time for income, but it also shows the stellium in Taurus in your 10th solar house of career. Thus, it becomes reasonable for you to take precautions for the future.

AQUARIUS: 1/21 to 2/19: Uranus, your ruling planet, remains positioned in your 4th solar house of home and family and includes the stellium in the sign of Taurus that cautions strongly about the relative safety of money.

The outlook for everyone is that the debt ceiling must be raised or face default on loans made by the government.

If this happens, we risk a major depression.

VIRGO: 8/23 to 9/22: Mercury, your ruling planet, is about to enter your 10th solar house of career followed by the stellium of planets in the sign of Taurus. Venus is positioned in the sign of Cancer and is about to have some good earnings from your career. Once again, be cautious with any special earnings. In addition, this is a good time for social interaction.

PISCES: 2/20 to 3/20: Neptune, your ruling planet, continues near the end of your 1st solar house of personality highlighting your very creative nature and talent.

It's important you realize that it's time to take some of the hard-to-earn money aside from sales of your creative efforts so that you can support yourself in the future. The third house sign of Taurus signals a good time to sell.

LIBRA: 9/23 to 10/22: Venus, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 10th solar house of career preceded by Mars searching for income to pay the bills. The stellium of planets remains in Taurus in your 8th solar house and must be preserved to cover your overhead, hard work, as well as the expenses necessary for the product you put on display.

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.

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 has entered Cancer, and Pluto in Aquarius. However, the stellium in Taurus is in your 7th solar house and wants to socialize and play – to enjoy some free time with your friends. Instead, step back and put some of that money in a safe place.

SAGITTARIUS: 11/23 to 12/21: Jupiter, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 6th solar house of daily work, with three additional planets that include part of the Sun, Mercury and Uranus. This stellium of planets in the sign of Taurus calls for a preservation of capital based on your ability to work and profit from your energy and creativity.

CAPRICORN: 12/22 to 1/20: Saturn, your ruling planet, is in your 3rd solar house of education and com-

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Page 20, May 5, 2023 , BlueStone Press

FOR THE FAMILY Old Time Open House at the Ashokan Center Like to jam, sing, dance, or just listen to old-time music? The Ashokan Center is happy to welcome the community to their Old Time Open House, with lunch, at 12:30 p.m. (reserve a meal, $15 in advance and $20 day of) and jam (free), 1-3 p.m. Sunday, May 21, at the Ashokan Center, 477 Beaverkill Road, Olivebridge. All ages, levels, instruments, and voices are welcome. There will be a guided jam session with Emily Schaad, campers, and members of the staff from the Old-Time Rollick weekend, and additional space available for independent music-making. For more information, visit ashokancenter.org or call 845-6578333.

‘Somewhere in Queens’ Leo Russo (Ray Romano) lives a simple life in Queens with his wife Angela (Laurie Metcalf), their shy but talented son “Sticks” (Jacob Ward), and Leo’s close-knit network of Italian American relatives and neighborhood friends. Happy enough working at the family construction business alongside his father (Tony Lo Bianco) and younger brother (Sebastian Maniscalco), Leo lives each week for Sticks’ highschool basketball games, never missing a chance to cheer on his only child as he rules the court as a star athlete. When the high-school senior gets a surprising and life-changing opportunity to play basketball in college, Leo jumps at the chance to provide a plan for his future, away from the family construction business. But when sudden heartbreak threatens to derail Sticks, Leo goes to unexpected lengths to keep his son on this new path. “Somewhere in Queens” will be shown at 4 and 7 p.m. Friday, May 26; 7 p.m. Sunday, May 28; and 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale.

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

Kevin Cook, Gayle Fedigan and Robert Trondsen exhibit opens The Mark Gruber Gallery, owned and operated

by Marbletown’s Mark Gruber, presents its latest show featuring local artists Kevin Cook, Gayle Fedigan and Robert Trondsen. The show, which runs through July 1 at the gallery in the New Paltz Plaza, New Paltz, features painting landscapes in oils, by NYFA fellow Kevin Cook, a Realist who incorporates strong undercurrents of Romanticism into his work. Works in pastels by Gayle Fedigan are also a part of the show. Her acute aesthetic and emotional sensitivity is applied to her still lifes and landscapes with the craft of painting. And the third artist of the new exhibition, Robert Trondsen, paints landscapes mirroring the ethereal mood of the tonalists. Backlighting and atmospheric effects create a mystical vision. The Mark Gruber Gallery’s hours are 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; Sundays and Mondays by appointment. For more information, contact Gruber at 845-255-1241 or visit markgrubergallery.com.

Draw Botanical of Accord’s Leafy Leaves Zoom Workshop This two-day Zoom workshop for all levels, which breaks down the process of how to draw leaves from different perspectives and use watercolor and colored pencil to create three-dimensional forms with realistic details, will be held 3-7 p.m. Sunday, May 21, and 4-6 p.m. Thursday, May 25.

The program includes a set of prerecorded videos to watch to prepare for class and also recordings of each workshop session. All of the registration and video material for the workshop is delivered via email, so add info@drawbotanical. com to email contacts. After purchasing the workshop, emails will be sent with links and passcodes to the live Zoom meetings. For recommended supplies and more information, visit drawbotanical.com or call 845-377-0530.

Learn how to install a no-till ‘lasagna’ of layered compostable materials All ages are invited, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at the Ashokan Center, 477 Beaverkill Road, Olivebridge, to learn and help install layered compostable materials for a no-till garden on top of Hoot Hill. This event is free to the community, and registration is not required.

Donations gratefully accepted online or on site. Krista Speroni of True Foods Collective will be teaching how to transform a formerly overgrown area into a garden from scratch. Learn this land-conscious

.

Conceived and sung live by New York pop singer/songwriter Todd Alsup, this upbeat club music cabaret traces George Michael’s trailblazing history, weaving historical multimedia clips and 20 of his most unforgettable hits.

‘Freedom, the George Michael Experience’ This electrifying, immersive musical event celebrating the life and iconic songs of one of pop music’s brightest and sexiest stars, “Freedom, the George Michael Experience” will be presented at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale.

Conceived and sung live by New York pop singer/songwriter Todd Alsup, this upbeat club music cabaret traces Michael’s trailblazing history,

method for installing a no-till “lasagna” of layered compostable materials to build healthy soil. Observe, learn, ask questions, and help out with the installation. Bring work gloves and dress for the weather. BYO picnic lunch for after the workshop. For more information, visit ashokancenter.org or call 845-657-8333.

Children’s program: Celebrate Polish tradition and May flowers with Stone Ridge artist Jill Obrig Create traditional Polish Wycinanki (Vee-chee-non-kee), which are cut paper flowers, in this program for students ages 8 and up, 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, at Stone Ridge Library, 3700 Main St., Stone Ridge. These beautiful paper cuts are a tradition that has been created by Polish artists for many years. Enjoy picking colors for creative flowers. Obrig will be instructing participants in how to cut and design their flowers. Students coming from Marbletown Elementary School can join the program at 3:30 p.m. Register by visiting stoneridgelibrary.org or call 687-7023. Questions, email Julianna at julianna@stoneridgelibrary.org.

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 (May 24 and 31) and Saturdays (May 20 and 27) and 3-5 p.m.

Thursdays (May 25 and June 1). 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

weaving historical multimedia clips and 20 of his most unforgettable hits.

The show debuted in June 2022 and enjoyed a triumphant 15-week soldout run at Provincetown’s legendary Crown & Anchor. BGHV is proud to be bringing Alsup back to the Hudson Valley this May to kick off Pride season and celebrate what would have been George’s Michael’s 60th birthday this June.

more information call 845-750-4112 or email LOLC12404@gmail.com.

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 Sunday, May 21, at the Kiwanis Ice Arena in Saugerties. The ICEbergs is a new all-inclusive adaptive hockey team that provides an environment where youngsters 5 years old and up can play hockey regardless of skill level, physical disability, and developmental or behavioral challenges.

The growing organization, which invites and includes local players, is a nonprofit organization and a member of the American Special Hockey Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving those with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities through the sport of hockey. The 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.

Rosendale Seniors monthly meetings, events and trips 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 (June 14), for a social meeting and on the fourth Wednesday (May 24), at 10:30 a.m. for the executive board meeting, and 1 p.m. for the business meeting. There will be a Memorial Service to honor deceased rel-

atives. Children and spouses will be the honorees. Rosendale Senior trips, open to all ages, will take a trip to Villa Roma on June 13. The cost is $72 per person.

The group will also sponsor an overnight tour to Branson, Missouri, courtesy of Diamond Tours, Sept. 16-24, nine days and eight nights. The tour, departing 8 a.m. from the Rec Center, consists of motorcoach transportation with eight nights lodging including four consecutive nights in the Branson area, 14 meals of eight breakfasts and six dinners, and admission to three morning shows (Dublin’s Irish Tenors and special guests the Celtic Ladies, Doug Gabriel Morning Show; and a Neil Diamond tribute) and three evening shows (The Haygoods Show; Presley’s Country Jubilee; and Queen Esther, at the Sight and Sound Theater). Cost is $1,029/pp double occupancy. Call Chickie at 845-658-2414 or Hal at 845-6589020 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 (June 14), and at noon on the fourth Thursday of every month (May 25) 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.

Thursdays at Clove Valley Community Farm of High Falls Join community organizer Aileah Kvashay and friends, 4-7 p.m. each Thursday, through Nov. 2, with upcoming gatherings on May 25 and June 1, 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, 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.

Junior Sportsmen’s Program takes aim at knowledge and safety for all with free classes Each Thursday at 6 p.m., May-October, students of all ages come out to the Marbletown Sportsmen’s Club Junior Sportsmen’s Program.

The archery class, taught by Pete Sarr, chairperson of the program, is alternated every other Thursday with firearms, with both programs held at the Marbletown Sportsmen’s Club, 95-105 Scarawan Road, Stone Ridge. Students of every level, from first timers to seasoned hunters, from kids to mature adults, learn everything from the proper stance to how to hold the bow and gun, to the proper terminology on the range, and much more, all emphasizing proper safety. All necessary equipment is provided for the program at no cost. Call Sarr at 845- 687-9305 or visit marbletownsportsmensclub.com.

Krispplebush-Lyonsville Fire Company Pancake Breakfast This event will be held, 8 a.m.-noon Sunday, May 28, 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. For more information, call 845-687-9801.

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, June 2 (bring a dish to share or drop $3 in the basket on the food table), and at 1 p.m. on the third Friday, June 16 (bring a dessert to share or drop $2 in the basket on the dessert table), each month. For more information, call Donna Lamerson at 845-750-8616. The next group trip will be Monday-Thursday, June 5-8, to Ohio's Amish Countryside. The

See More events, page 21

BlueStone Press, May 5, 2023 , Page 21

‘Leaving Bishop Falls, An Ashokan Story’

Events continued from page 20 trip includes three nights lodging, three breakfasts, three dinners, a live theatrical production at Ohio Star Theater, a musical comedy show, Lehman's General Store, a winery, cheese store, and more.

Cost is $627 per person double occupancy, $876 per person single occupancy. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, the Seniors will travel to Villa Roma, Callicoon. The trip includes a Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers tribute, with a meal of roast loin of pork, chicken Francese or filet of cod.

Cost is $58. The bus departs 8:45 a.m.

All trips leave from and return to Marbletown Reformed Church, 3750 Route 209, Stone Ridge. For more information and trip reservations, call Sharon Letus, at 845-687-9162.

Olive Free Library Fair This event will be held 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at the Olive Free Library, 4033 Route 28A West Shokan with a book and plant sale; kids crafts, balloon animals and face painting; live music with Bill Melvin at 11 a.m., Gilles Malkine at noon, and the Nuggs at 1 p.m.; plus food with Kevin Vines barbeque, ice cram and maple popcorn. For more information, visit olivefreelibrary.org or call 845-657-2482.

ARTS, MUSIC, BODY & MIND Changing Perspectives, a meditative hike above the Palmaghatt Join Josh Grosse, Student Conservation Association/AmeriCorps environmental educator, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20, for a calming 4-mile hike along gently sloping carriage roads. Bring a writing utensil, journal, and an open mind. Meet at the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center, 5281 Route 44/55, Kerhonkson. Preregistration is required by calling the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center at 845-2550752.

Local Quilters Guild meetings The Wiltwyck Quilt Guild will come together at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 20, via Zoom to share their work, learn a new skill and meet new friends. The program will be MJ Kinman presenting "Gems and Joy,” a trunk show and lecture about piecing the facets of gemstones to make sparkling quilts. New members are always wanted and welcomed to join the projects benefiting the community. For more information, visit wiltwyckquilters.org.

For Zoom link and questions, contact Guild secretary Mary Tyler of Rosendale at marycodytyler@yahoo.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 Horton and Regusis Quartet with Regusis, piano; Ron Horton, trumpet and flugelhorn; Lew Scott, bass; and Jeff Siegel, drums, May 20; and David Lopato & Global Coolant with Lopato, keyboards and composer; Ed Neumeister, trombone; Lucas Pino, saxes, clarinets; Ratzo Harris, bass; and Bob Meyer, drums, May 27.

Come celebrate the unofficial beginning of summer and hear music from the upcoming release of David Lopato’s “Short Stories” on Global Coolant Records.

Annie Mardiney, wildlife rehabilitator from Wild Mountain Birds, Rosendale

Drop-in program, Live Birds of Prey with Rosendale’s Annie Mardiney Join Annie Mardiney, wildlife rehabilitator from Wild Mountain Birds, 10 a.m.-2

p.m. Sunday, May 21, for an up-close and personal look at some of the raptors common to the Shawangunk Ridge. Live education birds may include red-tailed hawk, broad-winged hawk, American kestrel, barred owl, screech owl and great horned owl. Stop by the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center, 5281 Route 44/55, Kerhonkson, to meet these amazing and beautiful animals in person. Preregistration is not required.

For more information, call 845-255-0752.

Every Tuesday, Saturday and more at the Redwing A bright, headstrong daughter of a sena- Blackbird Theater tor, elevated by her status but stifled by its expectations ... A refugee of slavery, having in Rosendale risen to the top of a white world, finds that National Theatre Live presents ‘Othello’

love across racial lines has a cost. Wed in secret, Desdemona and Othello crave a new life together. But as unseen forces conspire against them, they find their future is not theirs to decide. An extraordinary new production of Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedy, directed by Clint Dyer with a cast that includes Giles Terera, Rosy McEwean, and Paul Hilton, “Othello” can be seen, 2 p.m. Sunday, May 21, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale. The film, recorded live on the Lyttleton stage of the National Theatre in London, is three hours long with one intermission. Admission is $15/$12 members. For more information, visit rosendaletheatre.org or call 845-658-8989.

Join the community at the Redwing Blackbird Theater, 413 Main St., Rosendale, 5:30-8 p.m. Tuesdays (May 23 and 30) for the Open Puppet Workshop with works in paper mache, puppet making, banner sewing and painting, dancing, slapstick puppetry, and dinner at 7 p.m., all to prep for summer shows at the Rail Trail Café; and 4-6 p.m. Saturdays (May 20 and 27), the museum is open for tours and short puppet shows. The group is always looking for people to join for shows, parades and marches. For more info, visit redwingblackbirdtheater.com or call 845658-7651.

Hudson Valley HorsePlay of Kerhonkson to host See More events, page 22 Read to Ponies event tomorrow D&H Canal morning

big eyes and enjoy the attention and the sound of voices. They’re also completely accepting of mispronounced words, long pauses and other obstacles, giving readers a sense of ease as they make their way through prose, poem or story. At the open barn event, participants will have the opportunity to read to ponies or listen-up in the Story Corral, meet the herd and staff, and catch demonstrations of how the Reading with HorsePlay program works. Reading With HorsePlay provides an engaging, supportive teaching and tutoring program for readers of all ages and abilities. Together with a pony-partner, students advance through the five critical skills: phonemic awareness, decoding, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.

The movement-based model involves the whole body and mind. The horses bring a social/emotional connection, promoting self-regulation, boosting cognition, and adding to the retention of material. All activities take place on the ground. There is no riding involved and no horse experience is required.

Reservations are required and can be made at https://wwweventbrite.com/e/ read-to-ponies-tickets-620229672647.

For more information, visit hudsonvalleyhorseplay.com or text 631-252-5098.

Museum & Mid-Hudson Visitor Center Open Everyday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

High Falls Flea Market at Grady Park Weekends, weather permitting 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

www.canalmuseum.org/events

1315 MAin Street, High Falls 845-687-2000

Choose a book (or bring one) and pull up a hay bale, as there’s a barn full of horses waiting at HV HorsePlay, an experiential learning center in Kerhonkson. Read to Ponies is a free event for all ages and abilities, to be held tomorrow, 10-11 a.m.

Saturday, May 20, rain or shine, at Hudson Valley Horseplay, 98 Sherman Road, Kerhonkson. The event is part of HorsePlay’s Spring Open Barn, an effort to showcase its unique offerings that combine literacy and executive functioning skills with horses, including interactions, handling, leading and other non-riding exercises. Academically, children who are not reading on grade level by the end of third grade struggle in every class, year after year, because over 85% of the curriculum is taught by reading. “Horses are great listeners,” explained HorsePlay founder Cori Nichols. “They’ve got big ears and

Construction of the Ashokan Reservoir, part of New York City’s water system, flooded communities long established in the Esopus Valley. That action reverberates today. The work of artist Kate McGloughlin, a 12th-generation Ulster County resident, captures the sense of loss her family still carries from the seizure of Bishop Falls. Her kin, and many like them, were forcibly removed from their land at Bishop Falls. McGloughlin’s painting and printmaking tell the story of her people, acknowledging their loss and finding solace in the beauty of the Ashokan landscape.

“Leaving Bishop Falls, An Ashokan Story” asks viewers to reflect on the effects of forced migration, on their own family stories and how they resonate in their lives today. The show is open each weekend, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday-Sunday, through Oct. 29, at Ulster County Historical Society, 2682 Route 209, Marbletown.

The exhibit is supported by Joan K. Davidson, president of Furthermore Grants in Publishing, the J.M. Kaplan Fund, the Richard Strain Fund at the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, Ulster Savings Charitable Foundation and Ulster County Department of Economic Development Cares Act II Small Business Grants.

For more information, visit ulstercountyhs.org or call 845-377-1040.

After-work yoga with Laura Brown, at Town of Marbletown municipal center Once again, the Stone Ridge Library is happy to offer four hour-long, after-work yoga classes taught by Laura Brown, 5:30 p.m.

Wednesdays, May 31June 21, at the Rondout Municipal Center, 1925 Lucas Turnpike, Cottekill (old Rosendale School).

Classes will be in the cafeteria (formerly the Brown Blackboard Bistro) or on the lawn above the playground, weather permitting. Brown loves bringing yoga into people’s lives, encouraging her students to welcome space, breath and movement to reset their bodies and minds. This is the perfect class for the absolute beginner, the curious, the seasoned yogi and everybody in-between!

All are encouraged to move at their own pace in this hour-long class.

Be sure to bring a yoga mat and any blocks or straps if needed. The library will have extra mats and blocks. As with any exercise class, check with a doctor before starting. For more information and registration, visit stoneridgelibrary.org or call 845-7023.

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Page 22, May 5, 2023 , BlueStone Press

Isle of Klezbos live music for Jewish American Heritage Month

Events continued from page 29 There is a suggested donation of $20.

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

Virtual Holistic Healthcare Week online Zoom video and telephone sessions Holistic Health Community of Stone Ridge will offer its Virtual Holistic Healthcare Week, Monday-Friday, May 22-26, via Zoom. Practitioners are offering their services in Ayurveda Wellness Consultations, Spacious Heart Guidance, Reconnective Healing and Life Coaching.

All sessions must be booked online. Patients should make an appointment for one session only so the maximum number of people may benefit. To make an appointment, go to http://hhcny.simplybook.me. The Holistic Health Community Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, charitable corporation. Visit holistichealthcommunity. org or call 845-867-7008 to donate and for more information about the Holistic Health Community, its practitioners, and the modalities offered.

Writers’ group with Cathy Arra Two separate writers’ groups meet 4-6:30 p.m. on alternate Mondays at the Stone Ridge Library in the activity room, 3700 Main St., Stone Ridge, with a maximum of 10 participants in each group. The program is designed for those who are actively writing and publishing work and who want to participate in a structured, critical feedback process. Cathy Arra, a poet, writer and former teacher of English and writing in the Rondout Valley School District, facilitates the groups. The next meeting for Group 2 is on May 22. For more information and to join the group, email carra22@aol.com.

Stone Ridge Library presents Spanish conversations with Francisco Rivera ¿Hablas español? To brush up on Spanish conversation skills and meet other language lovers in a friendly and stress-free environment with facilitator Francisco Rivera, join the class, 1-2 p.m. every fourth Tuesday of the month via Zoom, with the next session on May 23.

All levels are welcome. ¡Hasta entonces!

Rivera was born and raised in Spanish Harlem in NYC and is a long-term resident of Marbletown. Contact programs manager Sarah Robertson at programs@ stoneridgelibrary.org to join the group.

For more information, visit stoneridgelibrary.org or call 845-687-7023.

Understanding Medicare with Dan Calabrese, a Zoom program presented

by Stone Ridge Library This educational Zoom webinar on understanding Medicare with Dan Calabrese, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, May 23 via Zoom, will educate on the four different parts of Medicare, Medicare Supplements vs. Medicare Advantage Plans, when to first enroll in Medicare, when to change plans and more. He is certified in long-term care planning and holds the CLTC designation for such planning. He has written and published several articles on Medicare, long-term care and life insurance, which are available to read on sunriseadvgrp. com. For more information and registration, visit stoneridgelibrary.org or call 845-687-7023.

Search for spring flowers along Mossy Glen Footpath and Lower Awosting Carriage Road Join Nick Martin, park educator, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 27, for a 3-mile hike along two footpaths and one carriage road, searching for signs that spring has arrived in the Shawangunk Mountains as the group looks for spring wildflowers such as violets, bluets and fringed polygala. Meet in the Lower Parking Area. Preregistration is required by calling the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center at 845-255-0752.

Virtual Financial Aid Workshop in Stone Ridge SUNY Ulster has scheduled a financial aid workshop to be held on Zoom. During the workshop, students can get help from a SUNY Ulster financial aid counselor in completing their 2023-2024 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The workshop will be held from 2-3 p.m. June 1. Students need their 2022 tax information on hand, which includes the W-2 forms, federal tax returns, and any other income or asset documents, before the workshop begins. Registration is required.

For more information, contact Kathleen Hasbrouck at 845-687-5217.

Expect a rainbow of giant puppets, talking birds, dancing dragons, prancing horses and a menagerie of mythical beings, large, small, cunning and kind at the Hudson Valley Beltane Festival. So, don the fairy wings and join in!

Hudson Valley Beltane Festival Beltane is a donation-based family-friendly outdoor day festival that fuses the pomp and whimsy of a Renaissance fair with the magical delights of a springtime picnic gala. This event will be held 1-6 p.m. Sunday, May 20, on the picturesque grounds of Stone Mountain Farm, 312 River Road Extension, Rosendale.

The culminating event of the day is the Beltane Pageant, a performance of myth, magic, aerial flight and giant puppetry that marks the peak of spring and the beginning of summer. Stone Mountain Farm and Vanaver Caravan Dance Institute along with Blackbird Theater weave a wondrous tale for the audience, performing as mystical elements, fairies, gnomes and magical creatures.

Expect a rainbow of giant puppets, talking birds, dancing dragons, prancing horses and a menagerie of mythical beings, large, small, cunning and kind. Don a fairy wing and join in!

Gates open at 1 p.m.; music lineup begins at 2 p.m.; Capture the Flag & Sword Games with the Wayfinder Experience,

1-3 p.m.; Children's May Pole Dance, 3 p.m.; Free Fly on the Flying Trapeze with Wild Arts Collective; 1-4 p.m.; Beltane Pageant with Vanaver Caravan, 4:30 p.m.; and gates closing at 6 p.m.

Refreshments and healthy food will be served all day long at the Rail Trail Café.

Festival goers are encouraged to bring their own snacks, refillable water bottles, bug spray, sunscreen, picnic blankets, lawn chairs and shade umbrellas to enjoy the entertainment on the green throughout the day. This event is 100% outdoors.

Bugs and wildlife make their home on this land. Treat everything in the environment with kindness and respect.

Admission to Beltane is by donation ($20 suggested, per ticket). Pay what you can! All proceeds go to the upkeep, preservation and sustainable development of the historic land. When selecting a ticket, consider adding a contribution to the “Build the Caravan Center at Stone Mountain Farm” campaign. The donation will help build a new forever home for Vanaver Caravan and a much-needed four-season creative space for the Center for Symbolic Studies classes and artist residences.

For more information, visit vanavercaravan.org or call 845-256-9300.

Beth Shoenfeld, ‘Textured Connections’ exhibit, at the Wired Gallery in High Falls

​ A new season and a new show opens at Wired Gallery, 11 Mohonk Road, High Falls.

“Textured Connections” is a solo show of 20 mixed media works by Beth Shoenfeld, on exhibit through May 21.

Local mixed media artist and ceramics instructor Shoenfeld was born in the Bronx and raised in the metropolitan area of New Jersey. She has been living and creating art in the Kingston area since the late 1980s.

She makes her art by pushing and pulling clay, paper, paint and glue, or whatever the materials are available; layering, ripping and rebuilding elements from one piece to the next. The results are often richly textured, intimate compositions full of small details and pasted imagery that wonders and intrigues. January of this year, while

Rockin’ Reptiles and Amazing Amphibians Join Ashokan educators Chris Werni and Megan Greco for a group hike around the grounds to look for reptiles and amphibians, 10 a.m. Sunday, May 21, at the Ashokan Center, 477 Beaverkill Road,

Beth Shoenfeld at the Wired Gallery with “Textured Connections” show.

creating a large volume of new mixed media works and ceramic jewelry, Shoenfeld began teaching ceramics at Cornell Creative Arts Center in Kingston. “I have been blessed with amazing art teachers throughout my life,” she says. “They instilled in me a desire and passion to show up and create, and now that I am teaching, I have the opportunity to give back.” The Wired Gallery is open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Ring the doorbell at other times, as the owner and operator, Sevan Melikyan, lives in the building. For information, visit thewiredgallery.com or call 682-564-5613.

Olivebridge. The Ashokan Center has vital habitats for them including a pond, Esopus Creek, vernal pools, and layers of leaves on the forest floor. Together, this group will look at the habitats where these animals thrive and see if they can find any along the way. World Turtle Day is May 23rd! There is a suggested admission price of $20 for this event. Kids under age 12 are free. For more information, visit ashokancenter.org or call 845-657-8333.

NYC-based, soulful, fun-loving powerhouse klezmer band Isle of Klezbos (klezbos.com) has toured from Vienna to Vancouver since 1998. Band repertoire ranges from rambunctious to entrancing neo-traditional folk dance, mystical melodies, Yiddish swing, retro tango, late Soviet-era Jewish drinking songs, re-grooved standards and genre-defying originals. The band, which will be performing, 7 p.m.

Friday, May 19, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale, features Shoko Nagai on accordion; Eve Sicular, drums; Alex Parke, clarinet and Pifano flute; Ben Holmes, trumpet; and Dave Hofstra, bass and tuba.

This event 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.

Stone Ridge artist Ruth Wetzel part of the ‘Beneath the Surface’ exhibition The Olive Free Library Association presents the exhibition “Beneath the Surface,” featuring the works of the members of the Women Photographers Collective of the Hudson Valley. The show will run through July 8, with a reception from 3-5 p.m. Saturday, May 20. The Women Photographers Collective of the Hudson Valley was formed in 2020 as a way for Hudson Valley women photographers to network and support one another in their creative work, especially in the face of the isolation and disconnectedness of the pandemic.

“Beneath the Surface,” a juried selection of work at the Olive Free Library, is their third public exhibition. Photographs were selected by a curatorial group from among those submitted by 13 members of the collective: Gail Albert, Ana Bergen, Shari Diamond, Jill Enfield, Lori Grinker, Maria Fernanda Hubeaut, Kay Kenny, Dorothea Marcus, Meryl Meisler, Charley Mitcherson, Susan Phillips, Carla Shapiro and Stone Ridge artist Ruth Wetzel. Joan Barker, a new member of the collective, assisted with the selection and installation of the show.

“Beneath the Surface” displays the diversity of the subjects, styles and techniques of these photographers while at the same time pointing to an underlying commonality. All of the images on display refer to hidden stories, with some of them known to the photographer, while others simply point to a mysterious unknown. Sometimes these photos allude to an inner experience of emotion – to loss, depression, or excitement, or even joy, sometimes to the inexorable passage of time, and to what is gone and what remains – and their time frame ranges from the ephemeral effects of water or shadow to the eons of geologic time.

They may refer to personal memories, or historical events or cultural issues, or to processes in nature; and they may be moody, meditative, or more documentary in style. But all deliberately evoke reference to something beneath the surface of the literal subject. For more information, visit olivefreelibrary.org or call 845-657-2482.

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