The Future Issue No. 14

DVE IGHT W I N T E R 2 0 2 0 I S S U E 14

THE FUTURE ISSUE

EDITOR’S NOTE

THE FUTURE ISSUE

WINTER 2020

W H E N E V E R W E C O M E TO the end

of a year we naturally look back and see what we have accomplished. When we come to the end of a decade, we are forced to look even deeper and see what we’ve become. This naturally begs the question: Where are we going next?

When I started this issue, I had to ask myself these questions, but it was difficult to get my bearings with all of the commotion happening in our country.

For a while, I grew pessimistic. But as I delved deeper, “The Future” became clearer. To me, looking ahead is not about putting a spotlight on our past mistakes.

It’s about being positive and hopeful of what can be done to better our future.

It’s about being imaginative and inclusive.

TERA being built by AI SPACEFACTORY in Garrison, NY. See A CONVERSATION WITH page 42

Have a look at what the future holds and happy New Year.

NHI MUNDY Editor in Chief

DVE IGHT I S S U E 14

Editor in Chief NHI MUNDY

Travel Editor SANDY SOOHOO

Executive Editor MICHAEL MUNDY

Market Editor MANDY COON

Design Director STEPHEN MALE

Contributing Photographers MICHAEL MUNDY MARTIN ADOLFSSON MORIAH ASLAN NOAH KALINA STEPHAN SCHACHER

Style Director JOHN PAUL TRAN Senior Editor ALEXANDRA MARVAR

Contributing Writers ALEXANDRA MARVAR DORIS CHEVRON EDDIE BRANNAN JILLIAN SCHEINFELD JANUS ADAMS

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DVEIGHT Magazine Issue 14 © 2020 Delaware Valley 8 LLC See the magazine online at dveightmag.com The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors.

They do not purport to reflect the opinions

Advertising Executive ESTHER DE JONG MARIANA RIDGELL

or views of Delaware Valley 8 or its members.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

For customer service or advertising inquiries, please email nhi@dveightmag.com or write us at P.O. Box 41, Jeffersonville, NY 12748

7

UP & COMING

THE FUTURE ISSUE

Introducing

U P S TAT E WOM AN , a lifestyle publication dedicated to celebrating the modern rural woman. Through a

curious and refreshingly nostalgic lens, Upstate Woman will delve into an exploration of the inimitable women that inhabit, embrace, and define rural culture and what it means to live a natural, simple, conscientious lifestyle.

Coming Spring 2020. Photograph Ruo Bing Li

Joining the wave of new and exciting restaurants to the Upper Delaware Valley region is

N AT IV E ,

located in

Honesdale, PA. Opened by Alex and Caleb Johnson, Native incorporates elements learned from the couple’s restaurant careers in Philadelphia, including an open kitchen and an innovative and sophisticated menu. Like many restaurateurs extending city careers in exurban hometowns, they know they have to balance metropolitan ambitions with regional tastes. They aim to best serve locals by broadening their range. “We want to encourage people to try something a little different,” Alex says. Expect to feast on exotic delights such as rabbit rillette and hop-infused cheddar. www.nativehonesdale.com

For those seeking a healthful, restorative retreat in the Catskills, the

KENOZA HALL HOTEL AND SPA,

opening early 2020, is the perfect escape from the city or the city mindset. Utilized initially as a summer retreat in the late 1800s, Kenoza Hall is a jewel sitting on a 55-acre Sullivan County property that boasts 22 guest rooms—many with large soaking tubs and views of Kenoza Lake. On-property sits Hemlock Spa,

UCOPMING AND

inspired by the area’s early Swiss & German settlers, which will offer a range of Kneipp-inspired body treatments as well as an outdoor sauna and hot tub, a movement studio and pool. www.kenozahall.com

By E D D I E B RANNAN

UPSTATE The storied, now-closed Kutsher Hotel has a serene and spiritual future, having been incorporated into

YO1 ’s 1,300-acre wellness

center and resort, situated just outside of Monticello, NY. “Yovan” is a Sanskrit word meaning youthfulness, and YO1 seeks to create immersive and authentic experiences focused on practicing a more natural lifestyle and achieving lasting wellness. The resort offers stays that include room and vegetarian meals and cold-pressed juices. Guest amenities include an Olympic-size pool, jacuzzi, fitness room, and yoga classes (including one-on-one guided practice and meditation classes). For locals, affordable day spa options are also available, with access to all amenities. With a customized blend of ayurvedic and naturopathic therapies and tailored wellness programs, YO1 provides guests with the necessary tools, atmosphere, and motivation they need to tap into a lasting youthfulness and tranquility. www.yo1.com

Located in Livingston Manor, NY, on a 120-acre property,

UPWA RD BR EWIN G

produces “clean, crisp” highly-drinkable beer

from their own Catskills water springs. The brewery eschews the rustic and traditional, instead opting for a clean, crisp, lab-like aesthetic in the brew room and a clean, crisp modernist exterior. Inside though, the visual austerity gives way to sumptuous comfort with leather club chairs surrounding elegant fireplaces capped with mid-century modern light fittings. Enjoy the ambiance, spectacular settings, good food, and of course, you know, the beer. www.upwardbrewing.com 9

WINTER 2020

FREE RANGE

THE FUTURE ISSUE

S E DA Memoir I D BYD Y : J A N U S A D A M S “I write history, but why do I love it so?

For me, history has always been an adventure into what was, to tell me something about what is, to help me frame what might be— what could possibly be.

The future.”

12

FREE RANGE

THE FUTURE ISSUE

WINTER 2020

MY MOM A N D I W ER E OUT FOR A D R I V E,

spider who’d stowed away on slaveships to spin his

Street Seaport on Manhattan’s lower eastern tip.

wandering the scene along the Hudson, going

magical lore on needy New World shores.

There, they’d watch with wonder as the ships came

nowhere in particular, when I asked: “How would

With each story Grandma would tell, no matter

in and went out again. With Teddy and me, his only

you tell the story of your life?” Closing her eyes,

its filigree, would come the same moral, the same

grandchildren, our port of call was Manhattan’s

lifting her face to the sun, she gave a little laugh.

reason for being; to spread her gospel of life,

lower West Side––just up from the “Lady in the

“If I were to write my autobiography, I would begin

evangelist that she was: “All things are one.”

Harbor,” the Statue of Liberty.

with the words Daddy uttered when I was born:

With each epistle, she re-tied my ribbons to a bow,

Taking us to the docks to walk and dream with him,

‘No one to wear my shirts.’” With those words,

pulled taut Teddy’s knee socks, lathered cream on

Grandpa talked of our Statue and how difficult it

my devoted grandfather accepted the fact that

our elbows and knees, and put all fights to rest

had been to raise the money for Liberty’s stand.

he’d never father a son and cuddle his newborn

for the day. “In this world, everything is related,”

He told us the story of how the people of France

third daughter—by all accounts his favorite child—

Grandma scurried, ladying me up before my parents

had made a gift of Liberty asking only that

to his chest.

returned from work to take me home. She took it

Americans give her a home base and pedestal.

“And you?” Mom asked, turning the interview

as her mission to make me presentable for the

He told us about the immigrant newspaper publisher,

back on the interviewer. A Journalist and historian,

outside world.

Joseph Pulitzer, who—when commitments were slow

I’d been chronicling other lives forever. Asked about

In this world all things are one.

to come—issued a call-to-action to his subscribers.

my own, I was stumped.

When my parents worked late and those long

It was children, Grandpa told us, who rallied to the

“I’ll give you a hint,” said Mom, ever the master

childhood afternoons of waiting stretched into

cause, donating their pennies and saving the day

educator: “Dr. Holt.”

questions longer still, I’d pepper Grandma and

for Liberty. Children, Grandpa said, had done what

She’d taken me to Dr. Holt, my pediatrician, for a

Grandpa for answers about our lives: the places

powerful adults would not.

six-month checkup. He’d pronounced me sound

they’d been, the places we could not yet go, why,

From our view in Liberty’s shadow, Grandpa would

and given me my first shot. I gave him a toothless

and how all such things they promised might

point out the flags of the ships in port. He’d teach

tongue-lashing against injustice and for my right to

someday come to pass. I was four and filled with

us geography and the history of the countries

say NO.

questions—but-how-come questions—beyond the

from which they’d sailed, setting our imaginations

“This child’s going to TALK!” said Dr. Holt in retreat.

realm of answers. Grandma would reach deep into

churning with tales of distant seas. Together, we’d

It was a moment he would dub—and Mom would

her pocket of wisdoms and come up with a trinket in

wave at the seamen in their telling array of sparkling

confirm as—my calling.

consolation. Brushing my hair, Grandma would spin

white uniforms. Then, Grandpa would point to

How do we grow into ourselves? Become ourselves?

her favorite pig tale:

the horizon and shield our eyes from the glare as

Accept and own our destiny? How do we learn to

“And so Baby Pig said to Mama Pig, ‘Mammie,

these seamen-of-the-world hailed ashore with one

step out on our journey? Face the future unafraid?

why you snout so long?’” Grandma would wax

common destiny in mind.

“Dr. Holt” was the origin story Mom told me early

dramatic with that long-ago Caribbean patois

“All dressed up for liberty,” Grandpa would say.

and repeated as needed: booster shots for the soul.

retrieved on such occasions.

“Are they going to see Lady Liberty?” we asked.

Left to my own devices, my earliest memory begins

“And Mama Pig said to Baby Pig, ‘Wait, time come,

“She’s a different kind of liberty,” he’d sound our

in my grandparents’ apartment: 2041 Fifth Avenue.

you see.’”

shallow depth.

Harlem.

Such is the journey from what we have yet to learn

“Why do you have to dress up for Liberty?”

On long rainy radio days, after Arthur Godfrey had

to what we may someday come to know. Such is

“Let’s find ice cream,” he steered.

strummed his closing ukulele and sung his last nasal

how we suckled for the future at the trough of life.

We were four, then, and all things were sweet.

note; after soap opera actor swoons and organ

Grandpa had a different way. Grandpa loved the

Grandpa had a knack for steering us through

swells dangled us breathless off storied cliffs; my

sea. As his three little girls grew, he’d take them

life’s mysteries.

cousin Teddy and I would drink our fill of Ovaltine

with him everywhere—usually boy places; places

Now I know that what those harbor ladies embodied

before relenting to being put down for our nap.

that reminded him of the sea and his Caribbean

was as far from Liberty as were my expectations

Awakening, we’d take to our indoor tricycle track,

home. On their adventures, he’d challenge their

from their gentlemen callers’. This Grandpa taught

turning the building a-riot (the downstairs neighbors

minds in ways some expressly reserved for their

me, too—his own brand of booster shot; inoculating

tapping a broom handle up on the ceiling below; the

sons. On Sundays, they had a ritual. On their way

us for the inevitable chills to come: for harbor

upstairs neighbors tapping down on the floor above).

home from Sunday School he’d buy raw peanuts

ladies, flesh and stone alike, there’s a price one

We’d make forts of pillows, re-enacting Cowboy and

then fresh roast them at home. Shelling their bounty

pays for Liberty.

Indian sagas on TVs prophetically black-and-white.

into a big cup—special for the purpose—he’d dole

We’d blast off sofas with Captain Video, breaking

out the peanuts to his three little girls and real aloud

the surly bonds of living room propriety.

to them from The New York Times. In a ritual he

Emmy Award-winning journalist, historian,

Such were the times—times as topsy-turvy, yet

began when they were 6, 5, and 3; maintained into

entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and author,

responsive, as children on the move could turn an

their early teens, and revived when Teddy and I

Dr. Janus Adams is the host of public radio’s

apartment and a society. The Civil Rights movement

came along, he’d read a passage and say,

“The Janus Adams Show” and podcast.

was in-the-making; change in the offing; the future

“Now this is what they said, but the politicians

just beyond the bend.

really mean this.” He’d read another part and say,

Her cousin, “Teddy,” is Dr. Ted Landsmark, PhD,

“Come, let me tell you a Nancy story,” my Grandma

“Now you have to learn to read between the lines.

JD. President Emeritus of the Boston Architectural

would call, drawing us near. Years would pass

What do you think about this part?”

College, he is currently Director of The Kitty and

before I decoded her Caribbean lilt to find that

And, sometimes on fair-weather days, he’d bundle

Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional

“a Nancy” was Ananci, that ancient African trickster-

his girls up for the trip from Harlem down to South

Policy at Northeastern University.

13

THE FUTURE ISSUE

MEET YOUR MAKER

WINTER 2020

Within the largely rural, farm-dotted district of NY-19, U.S. Representative ANTONIO DELGADO cuts a rather striking profile: you ng, African-American, a former Rhodes scholar, and a successful attorney. In 2018, he narrowly won his seat after a racially tinged election. But since assu ming office, Delgado has been steadily win ning over even his conservative critics through his vigorous legislative work on vital upstate issues—such as health-care access, relief for small farmers, and curbing environ mental conta minants—as well as his thoughtful and sincere engagement with the public, via the nearly three dozen tow n halls he’s held in his first year in office. Here, he speaks with Michael Mu ndy about the rewards and challenges of representing upstate in Washington—and reflects on his most important skill as an official: the ability to listen to and con nect personally with voters.

CONGRESSMAN ANTONIO DELGADO Interview and Photography MICHAE L MUNDY

19

WINTER 2020

MEET YOUR MAKER

THE FUTURE ISSUE

“I THINK PEOPLE WANT TO FEEL HEARD.

THEY WANT TO FEEL ACCOUNTED FOR AND THEY WANT TO FEEL MY PRESENCE. AND SO TO ME, A BIG PART OF THE JOB IS BEING PRESENT” MICHAEL MUNDY: Congressman, thank you so

consolidation issues that we’re experiencing across

direction. It would have the effect of bringing down

much for meeting with us. I wanted to start by talking

the ag industry, the concentration of power, within this

premiums and deductibles. We would start in those

about the initiatives you’ve been pushing forward very

industry, when you’re thinking about the trends that

rural communities where the options for care were

diligently in D.C. for everyone up here such as the

are squeezing out our family farmers despite the fact

limited, the providers were limited, which is also part

Family Farmers bill which was a huge win for the

that the value of land is increasing, more and more of

of the reason why they can jack up the cost because

community. What are your views on the future of our

farmers needed this kind of relief and yet more and

they don’t have competition. We would also expand

rural communities?

more farmers could not access it because of all the

subsidies for those individuals who are caught in that

dynamics I just laid out. This bill gives a greater

gap of 400% above the poverty line if we do away

window of opportunity for our family farmers.

with that cap. So more and more folks could access

ANTONIO DELGADO: This is a very rural district.

It’s the eighth most rural seat in the entire country of congressional districts. And I don’t think a lot of folks,

the premium assistance they need to get through MM: It’s certainly a significant increase.

particularly outside of the state of New York, really

the hard times. And we would allow Medicare to negotiate with the pharmaceutical industry, which as

appreciate how rural the state is. This district is made

AD: And the benefit of it was it’s a one-sentence bill

I’m sure many folks know, that’s a big reason why

up of thousands of farms, about 5,000 or so.

— it changes the cap. It’s that type of small but potent

the costs of healthcare are so high. Medicare does

And about 97% of those farms are small family-owned

change that I think also is why a lot of our Republican

not have the capacity right now to negotiate with the

farms — so we don’t have big corporate ag here.

colleagues were willing to join on as well. It was a

pharmaceutical industry.

If you look at the trends that we’ve experienced,

bipartisan bill and not very complicated. It was simple,

not just in the ag space, but just in terms of capital

to the point, and helped a lot of people. I’m very

MM: Yes, that’s very disturbing. So rural broadband

investment in general, rural communities are being left

happy to be able to work with my colleagues on both

is a very important thing too for developing businesses

behind. They’re not being focused on because capital

sides of the aisle to get this done.

out in these far reaches of the communities. What is on

likes to travel where there are dense populations so

the agenda for broadband?

you can get a significant return on investment.

MM: Congratulations on that. In a similar vein, I was

The problem is that when our government operates

wondering if you could talk a little about healthcare for

AD: The problem again is the fact that private actors

under the same set of principles we fail everyday

rural people. I know that’s been an issue you’ve been

and capital investors don’t see the advantages of

Americans. We fail the small farmer. We fail those

concentrating on also.

building out broadband in our communities because

who rely on or who need broadband access in rural

of the lack of population density. So we have to

communities. I think that the piece that I’ve come to

AD: You hear a lot about the skyrocketing costs

first and foremost understand, who has it and who

really appreciate as the representative of New York

of premiums and deductibles, which I think every

doesn’t? One of the big things I’ve been focusing on

19, is that we need more advocates in Washington,

American, no matter where you live, is faced with those

is the failed mapping practices that we’ve employed

who aren’t pushing this trend towards focusing only on

realities. But when you talk about rural communities,

at the federal level. Right now we use census block

those populations that can generate exceeding profits.

you’re also having to deal with access to care.

mapping, which works in densely populated areas.

It’s not how we define in my estimation, what truly

We have several counties that don’t even have the

If one house is being covered in this block, then we’re

makes living in this country special.

ability to deliver babies. You have to travel outside

going to assume that everybody else is covered

of counties for miles at a time to get access to care

too within that block. If you look at it from a rural

MM: Could you, for those who aren’t very familiar

when it comes to OBGYN. That’s a big issue here.

standpoint, that makes no sense. The approach

with the bill, just describe what the benefits are and

We have the opioid epidemic, which is undermining

doesn’t work because you have folks in the rural

what’s going to happen?

and harming our communities. And when you factor in

community who can live miles apart from each other.

Lyme disease, which is also potent in our communities,

Whether it’s the peaks, the valleys, and mountains,

AD: The Family Farm bill makes the eligibility cap

there are just so many factors that are exacerbating

the rivers, the farmland, you can’t assume that

for Chapter 12 bankruptcy more expansive.

the price of care and how we access care. And then,

everybody has it because one person has it. So we

Right now, the cap for eligibility into Chapter 12

there’s also the transportation piece. How do folks get

need street-level mapping. We need on-the-ground

bankruptcy, which allows small farmers to reorganize

to care? And this brings in infrastructure and this also

analysis to make sure we know who has the coverage

(and by reorganize, have some of your debt forgiven

brings in broadband and telemedicine and telehealth.

and then once we do that, we can then do the work of

but also remain operational through that period),

All these things come together and create a pretty

making sure those who don’t have it receive it. Part of

then hopefully when you come out of that bankruptcy

toxic cocktail that results in a lot of people not having

what I was able to do during the appropriation season

proceeding, you are in a better financial state.

the ability to afford care and access care during some

was issue an amendment that would say, we’re not

It is a special code for farmers. The cap for eligibility

pretty difficult times. And so, for me introducing the

going to fund any type of mapping that is exclusively

for a long time was $3 million. You had to have no

Medicare-X Choice Act, which was a bill that would

relying on just census block mapping. We’ve got to

more than then $3 million of debt on your books

allow folks the choice to opt in to Medicare and have

diversify the approach.

to be eligible. This bill increases that cap from $3

access to a nonprofit actor in the healthcare space,

million to $10 million. When you think about the land

I think was a tremendously important step in the right

20

MM: There was news today about you sponsoring

THE FUTURE ISSUE

MEET YOUR MAKER

WINTER 2020

“BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, LAW IS LAW. ONCE IT’S

ON THE BOOKS, IT’S GOING TO AFFECT PEOPLE’S LIVES AND IDEALLY, YOU WANT THAT TO BE A POSITIVE EFFECT” yet another bill regarding the PFAS [per- and

The biggest town across all 8,000 square miles is

So whether it is the Family Farmer Relief Act, whether

polyfluoroalkyl substances], the pollution that’s

Kingston. So to have a landmass as significant as

it’s the work that I’m doing to secure rural broadband

been seeping into the groundwater. Can you talk

nearly 8,000 square miles and to ultimately have the

or whether it’s the work that I’m doing to expand

a little bit about that? That just sounds like a very

biggest population (approximately 23,000-24,000)

health care coverage, it’s always focusing on all the

important issue.

center be Kingston, it goes to show how rural and

communities across the district. And that’s why we

expansive the district is.

set up the local advisory committees. We’ve got four

AD: Absolutely. So, Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh

of those committees in healthcare, small business,

of Rensselaer County have been directly impacted by

MM: And you just crisscross the entire region.

veteran’s and agriculture. I think the agriculture

this toxic contaminant. PFAS has been used both on

How many town hall meetings have you

committee might be the biggest. Over 40 people

a military basis and in fire hoses in the water. It’s also

conducted recently?

are on that committee, with representation from all

been employed privately by plastic manufacturers to

11 counties, and bi-partisan. So, it is an incredible

coat the plastics. There were a couple of companies

AD: So we were able to do 33 town halls in my first

opportunity for me to connect in a meaningful and

up in Rensselaer who were using the chemical for

year in Congress. We wanted to do three in every

personal way with actors on the ground who care quite

plastic manufacturing. Ultimately, what this toxin

county and we were able to do that. I’m very happy

a bit about this issue and have a lot to say about it

does is it has the ability to cause cancer, thyroid

with the work. I think we traveled something like

too. They have their own perspectives, but also, they’re

disease, autoimmune disorders, kidney failure.

90,000 miles. It was an insane number. But the good

informed in ways that I might not be. So it’s about

This is all scientifically based. There’s no speculation

news for me was people all across the district were

coming together, having these conversations, and then

here. There’s no need to figure out the effects.

incredibly receptive across the political spectrum.

taking all that information back to D.C. to generate

We know the effects. New York recently came out with

There was never an instance where I showed up to

good legislation for the community.

a maximum contaminant limit of, I believe, 7 or 10

an empty room. People showed up every time and

parts per trillion. We don’t have one yet. We don’t have

asked great questions. If we disagreed, we did so in

MM: That’s fantastic. I’ve seen you speak and I’ve

a Maximum Contaminant Level set at the federal level,

an agreeable fashion. I think people want to feel

obviously seen you in the media and there was always

which is in my estimation, a disgrace. We have got to

heard. They want to feel accounted for and they want

one thing that I’m always struck by. Your ability to

do the work of making sure that we take on PFAS; and

to feel my presence. And so to me, a big part of the

listen. Is this something that has grown with you in

make sure that we’re hitting a Maximum Contaminant

job is being present. It’s being accountable to the

office or is this something that you’ve always carried

Limit; and make sure that we’re requiring those who

folks that I serve. Before you even get to the legislative

with you from early on?

use the product to report its use and the extent of that

piece, if you’re able to at least earn some goodwill

use. I’m happy to say that in The National Defense

within the community, then you can begin to have

AD: I appreciate the observation. I think this job

Authorization Act [NDAA], we were able to, through

tough discussions about how we pursue an outcome

particularly, if you’re going to do it right and be the

my legislation, guide that process and ultimately the

legislatively that could help the community,

best you can be, the first order of business has to be

NDAA included a provision that would put PFAS on the

notwithstanding some of our different political

to listen. Your job is to represent, that’s the job.

toxic release inventory so that we at least could track

perspectives.

So how do you effectively represent if you’re not

the substance. But I want us to go a lot further. And in

listening to the people that you represent? You have

that regard, I knew that coming into this year I wanted

MM: You have had tremendous relief and respect

to soak up the community. You have to be of it and

to introduce some more significant legislation. To that

from, for example, farmers who traditionally are

in it. You have to know the ebb and flow. You have

end, this week we did so. The PFAS Action Act would

somewhat conservative. You seem to really stand up

to appreciate the energy and you can’t do that if you

include a designation of PFOA and PFLS chemicals as

for them. What kind of response did you get from

don’t open yourself up to it. And that requires you to

hazardous substances under the circle of the CERCLA

constituents like that?

be vulnerable enough to hear critique, to be judged,

Superfund legislation, which would give the federal

to be taken to task, but also [to pursue] the greater

government a lot more ability to go in and clean up

AD: Well, I mean, I stand up for every single person

good. And the greater good is to ensure that people

sites and aggressively track these contaminants.

in my district. I try my best to be mindful of that.

feel bought into this system, bought into democracy,

It also allows for EPA health testing for the effects of

As somebody who makes it a point to bridge the

and bought into representation. For me, I can’t pin-

all PFAS.

gap and find common ground. I think it is important

point exactly when I was able to develop the skill, but I

particularly in communities that might not find

do know that, since I’ve been in office and even before

MM: It sounds like you are responsible for so many

themselves naturally aligned with me. I do think it

that, I’ve always appreciated the power of listening

issues in an incredibly large district. Is the 19th district

is a very effective way in these divisive times to seek

and listening intentionally. Because you not only help

unusually large or is that sort of standard?

out those opportunities, to be an advocate for those

the person that you’re listening to, you help yourself

individuals. And not just be an advocate but produce.

because you empower yourself to be able to connect

AD: No, it’s large. It’s nearly 8,000 square miles and

Because at the end of the day, law is law. Once it’s

with that person. Once someone feels like you get

11 counties. It’s bigger than Connecticut and Rhode

on the books, it’s going to affect people’s lives and

them and you understand where they’re coming from,

Island combined. It is also part of why it’s so rural.

ideally, you want that to be a positive effect.

that is half the battle.

23

MEET YOUR MAKER

WINTER 2020

THE FUTURE ISSUE

In the progressive Finger Lakes city of Ithaca, 32-year-old SVA N T E M Y RICK shows us what the future of leadership looks like.

THE HEART OF THE CITY BEING MAYOR ISN’T JUST ABOUT POLITICS FOR ITHACA’S

S V A N T E M Y R I C K

By A LE X A N D R A M A R VA R Portrait NOAH K ALINA

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MEET YOUR MAKER

THE FUTURE ISSUE

WINTER 2020

“WE HAVE 10 YEARS TO PREPARE FOR THE EFFECTS OF

CLIMATE CHANGE, AND I WOULD BE LYING IF I SAID IT DOESN’T KEEP ME UP AT NIGHT”

“ I H AV E A LWAYS B EEN passionate about

But his mayoral term has also borne witness bigger

apartment doubled, from $500 per month to

housing because of the way I came up: in and out

national and global changes, and today Myrick’s

$1,000. And according to Myrick, the housing

of homelessness,” Mayor of Ithaca Svante Myrick

top priorities take a longer, broader view of his

supply hasn’t nearly kept up with growth in Ithaca—

says over the phone from his office in Ithaca’s City

city’s future. Along with implementing a plan for

one of the fastest growing economies in New York

Hall. “My mother struggled to keep a roof over our

community-wide carbon-neutrality by 2030, he

State. There is a lot of new economic opportunity,

heads, and I always wondered why that was because

has long been unsettled by the housing inequity

but that means stronger competition for the limited

I knew that she was extremely hard working.”

in a city that is often considered a little utopia

number of available houses.

It took Myrick a long time, he says, to figure out the

(bumper stickers read: “10 Square Miles Surrounded

deck was stacked against families like his. “It made

by Reality.”) This term, his sights are squared on

Since 2012, his administration has been working

me want to be involved in making the rules and

housing policy.

on new approaches, subsidizing new low-income

changing the system.”

and affordable housing, handing city-owned Because of his background, Myrick has long known

property over to land trusts, and changing zoning so

As a teenager, Svante Myrick assumed he would

that he wanted to be part of the solution to housing

landowners can build new housing on their property

never belong in the world of politics. “All the

shortages and poverty. He was working for the city

to accommodate more families. After five years

presidents had names like George Herbert Walker

of Ithaca while at the university, tutoring children

of his leadership, over half of the owners of single

Bush, and William Jefferson Clinton,” Myrick tells

when a mentor on the City Council encouraged him

and two-family homes saw a decrease in their city

me. “I didn’t have any II’s or III’s behind my name.

to run. “He told me, ‘Look, instead of telling me

tax bill. And last year, the tax rate had reached the

And then here comes Barack Hussein Obama

what to do all the time, you should do this: run for

lowest it has been since 2002. “Housing prices are

—a skinny kid with a strange name.” Obama was

office and do it yourself.’”

not rising as fast as they once were,” Myrick says,

mixed-race, like Myrick. “I thought, ‘What is this?’

It was an inspiration.”

“but that’s not a good bumper sticker. It’s not why “Before that,” he says, “I didn’t think that I could

I got into politics. I want to see them come down

actually be in office, but I thought I could be politics

further, especially in relation to wages, and I think

Myrick ran for City Council as a Cornell student

adjacent — like I could write about politics and

there’s more we can do.”

at the age of 20, and in 2012, at the age of 24,

influence them that way.” He had aspirations to be

he joined the Ithaca mayoral race, winning in a

a journalist like progressive Pulitzer Prize-winning

There always is. Growing inequality and climate

landslide to become one of the youngest mayors

political writer and New York Times op-ed

change go hand in hand, Myrick says. “We have

in the history of New York State and the first mayor

columnist Nicholas Kristof that didn’t stick.

10 years to prepare for the effects of climate

of color in the city of 30,000. In 2015, he ran for

Editors at the college paper cut everything he wrote

change, and I would be lying if I said it doesn’t

reelection unopposed. In 2019, he took home 76

into pieces, he says, but his background in writing,

keep me up at night. We have to lead.” In

percent of the vote, renewing his vows to the city of

communications, and analytical thinking set him

developing a carbon-neutral, more climate-resilient

Ithaca again this January 1st.

apart. “It means I’m a real pain to my staff,” he

city, Myrick knows there are ways to build economic

laughs. “I’m much more hands-on in those areas.”

opportunity for the disenfranchised, indigenous

His term has brought changes: Myrick turned the

people, people of color.

dedicated mayoral parking space into a public park,

“The thing about being politics adjacent,” he adds,

revived the tradition of Fourth of July fireworks, and

“is that I was very sure I was right all the time.

For some mayors, leadership is a matter of politics,

infused the office with a 21st Century-appropriate

I would read the newspaper and I would know what

of assessing policies, closing deficits, and overseeing

online presence. He facilitated the arrival of several

everybody was supposed to be doing all the time.

agencies. For Myrick, to be mayor of Ithaca,

mixed-use developments in Ithaca’s downtown

Taking office really changes that. There’s a greater

creating a better city and a better world are one

and made improvements to the city’s pedestrian

empathy for decision-makers. You would think being

in the same. In his housing policy, his climate

infrastructure. Accolades from mayors across the

elected would make you more arrogant, but it’s

policy and his attitude, this young mayor is

U.S. have recognized his innovative approaches to

humbling. It makes you less sure of yourself.”

dedicated to advocating for families who find

public health and drug policies and his fortification

the deck stacked against them—families that

of Ithaca as a Sanctuary City, which prioritizes

With a finely tuned balance of confidence and

remind him of his own—and finding ways to

the wellbeing of its citizens and community over

self-doubt, Myrick pushes forward trying to find

be sure no one is pushed to the perimeters or

the enforcement of federal immigration and

solutions to Ithaca’s housing problem. From 2000

left behind, but that everyone has a place in

deportation laws.

to 2010, he says, the cost of a one-bedroom

the heart of the city.

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When K A M A L JOH NSON ran for alderman in Hudson’s seven-percent-minority first ward two years ago, the old guard never expected what was to come. “There’s no way a black guy — especially a you ng one — is going to come out of the first ward,” they said.

LOCAL POLITICS OR THE NEW GUARD (2.0)

INCOMING MAYOR KAMAL JOHNSON SHAKES UP THE STATUS QUO AT HUDSON’S CITY HALL

By A LE X A N D R A M A R VAR Portrait NOAH K ALINA

W H EN K A M A L JOH N SON ran for alderman

youngest mayor—and the first African American to

change was necessary. “As I look across the Capital

in Hudson’s seven-percent-minority first ward two

hold any city office—in the 6,500-resident city’s 235

Region and different places in close proximity, I see

years ago, the old guard never expected what was

years of history.

the same thing: an older generation of white guys—

to come. “There’s no way a black guy—especially

the look of leadership, how things always are.

a young one—is going to come out of the first

“They told me, ‘You’re not going to win. You should

But there’s more than one look to leadership,”

ward,” they said.

change the way you dress. You should change the

Johnson says, “and if we don’t stop looking to that

way you act.” But he believed Hudson was ready for

one brand of leadership, we’re not going to get any

Now Johnson, 34, is Hudson’s mayor-elect.

change, and that for most of the population who

of the changes we want to see. If you’re looking

When he takes office in January, he’ll be the

weren’t being served by the political status quo,

to a guy that has everything to understand your

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THE FUTURE ISSUE

MEET YOUR MAKER

WINTER 2020

“IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO A GUY THAT HAS EVERYTHING TO

UNDERSTAND YOUR DOWNFALLS, YOUR NEEDS, AND THE THINGS YOU’RE GOING THROUGH IN YOUR COMMUNITY, YOU’RE LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACE”

downfalls, your needs, and the things you’re going

field trips to places like Yankee games... For a lot of

school basketball game across the river in Catskill,

through in your community,” Johnson says, “you’re

us, that was the first time we got out of Hudson.”

and in that game, three out of five starters on the

looking in the wrong place.”

other team were Hudson kids. They looked forward Its dilapidated state, Johnson says, sent a message

to playing for Hudson High all their lives, and once

For Johnson, the path to his new office in Hudson’s

he couldn’t abide: “This is basically a reflection

they finally get to that point, they find out there’s

regal, neoclassical City Hall, was an uphill battle.

of the city’s interests for our kids. We’re basically

no housing, and now they’re playing for their rival

Johnson’s campaign had a minuscule budget for a

telling them, ‘We don’t have high expectations for

school because that’s where their parents had to

campaign that would last from March to November.

you. We don’t really care about you.’” In the interest

move,” Johnson says. “I coached all three of those

He had no paid staff until just a week before the

of turning this corner of his hometown around,

kids. Stuff like that gets to me because those kids

election. In the lead-up, efforts were propelled

he offered his ideas, he offered his time, but the

deserve to play for the school they grew up wanting

entirely by dozens of volunteers brandishing

message from the top was always the same:

to play for.” These are the stories that only come

Johnson’s campaign slogan: All hands on deck.

“Your ideas are good, but you’re not at the table.

from spending time with your community, Johnson

“It was so unexpected and so humbling,” Johnson

There’s a process.”

says. But it’s stories like these that have prompted

says. “Garnering support even from the people

Johnson’s work in getting vacant lots around Hudson

who had thought ‘no matter who’s in charge, it’s

“I got tired of being told I wasn’t at the table, so I

shovel-ready, with strategies around fostering

not going to affect my life,’ and from young people,

threw my hat in the ring for the alderman race,”

the development of affordable housing wherever

who’ve been told their voice doesn’t matter.”

Johnson said. “Not only did I want to be on the

possible. “They say you can’t stop gentrification,”

That same camp that had doubted his success,

Youth and Aging Committee that oversees the

he says, “but I believe you can balance it with equity

he said, was the camp that told him young people

direction of the youth center, I wanted to chair it.

and new affordable housing. We need to encourage

don’t care about politics. But that wasn’t what

That would mean a new budget, newly trained staff,

developers to bring affordable housing to Hudson.”

Johnson saw in his volunteer corps.

programming, partnerships, an entirely new plan.”

At election time this past November, Johnson’s

At the time of Johnson’s announcement, two years

that he’ll be joined by more like-minded young

brand and message brought people of all ages out

later, that he would run for mayor, he was endorsed

leadership in the coming years. “I see a lot of

to the polls: “In the primary, we broke every voting

only by the Working Families Party. The previous

changes in the future with a lot of young people

record Hudson has,” Johnson says. “We had a

mayor had run unopposed, and by default, had

stepping up into leadership positions,” he says.

record turnout across demographic lines.”

the support of the Democratic, Republican and

When asked for advice to those who might be

Johnson’s campaign is a first, but he has hope

Independent local parties. “I didn’t partner with

interested in following in his footsteps, he offers:

The Hudson native started his career in politics two

any of the old-time players. I didn’t make any deals.

“This is a business where people have been lied to

years ago, when he made a visit to the Hudson

I literally went to the people and ran a campaign

so much, the trust just isn’t there. There are people

Youth Center and found it neglected and run-down.

with a bunch of people I worked with or friends

who show up just around election time, make

“There were holes in the walls. There were kids

of mine. And I was the underdog, so I was

promises, bleed the community, and then they’re

playing in random corners. This is one of the places

going directly to the people and listening more

gone. If you’re interested in getting involved in

that kind of saved my life growing up and gave me

than talking.”

your local politics, work in your community, build

an opportunity,” Johnson says. “You really had to

your name, and let people get to know you and

chase us out of there at the end of the night.

From that listening sprung his platform: A campaign

understand you’re here for genuine reasons before

We would’ve lived there if we could have. I came

for, among other things, transparent and inclusive

you just jump out there.”

from very humble beginnings and I needed an

governance, affordable housing, safer streets, and

outlet that was different than what went home to

addressing the opioid crisis (Columbia County is

“Also, I’d say,” Johnson adds: “Don’t let anyone

every night. The youth center and the after-school

among the most high-risk counties in the state for

dictate when your time is. If you feel it’s your time,

program in the Hudson City School District are really

opioid deaths). He’s already made strides with new

then you do everything you can in your power to

where I found my niche and got my bearings.”

opioid measures, filling a long-empty position for

make sure you’re right. That’s one of the hardest

Police Commissioner with Peter Volkmann, Chatham

things I went through—people telling me,

Growing up in Hudson, Johnson’s family confronted

police chief and founder of addiction recovery

‘It’s not your time. Come back in five years. You’re

poverty, addiction (his mother was in rehab for a

initiative Chatham Cares 4 U.

too young, too inexperienced.’ I didn’t let that get

time), and incarceration (his two older brothers went

to me. And now here we are, in my time. But my

to prison while he was a young teen). “Back then,

Another issue Hudson is grappling with now is a

campaign was to tell people: It’s not about me. Yes,

the youth center had so many programs; we went on

massive wave of gentrification. “I went to a high

we’re going to make history, but this about all of us.”

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T H E D E S I G N

ADVENTURER In the net-zero-energy house he built for himself overlooking a beautiful spot named Roundout Valley, P E T E R he is living it.

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R E Y NOL D S is taking sustainability way beyond the buzz -

By D OR I S C H E V R O N Photography C H RIS T IAN H ARD ER

THE FUTURE ISSUE

GIMME SHELTER

WINTER 2020

FROM FAR LEFT: The sliding pocket doors are 8 feet high and all the walk-in closets light automatically when opened; smaller windows characterize the north side of Reynolds’ house, which is grid-tied (as opposed to off the grid). This eliminates costly batteries to store the energy produced by the solar panels on the roof; the facade of Reynolds’ FlexHouse is protected by a rain wall made out of corugated metal; oak slats hide Reynolds’ tools.The largest, an industrial-sized backhoe, is parked near the entrance of the house. The firewood comes from the premises and gets used in the metal fire pit on the terrace

L I K E E V E R YO N E E L S E who enters this airy, light-filled house, Peter Reynolds

says. “Even in the coldest days — and nights — of winter, I can stand right next to

gravitates immediately to his expansive living room windows. The view outside is

the glass in my bathrobe and barefoot, and feel extremely comfortable.”

like a diorama: the grove of red and white oak trees, the vegetable garden at the

What is extraordinary about this is that he is talking about a building without

bottom of the hill, the wood-fired sauna he shares with friends in nearby houses,

a furnace or floor heat, without a single fireplace or even a wood stove. How does

and the pond he dug with his own backhoe.

this even work?

Imagine, he says, “a washboard of ripples as the tectonic plates pushed

Reynolds’ house is not just a home, but also a prototype for what he considers

together, coming across the ocean. What you see is the very last ripple before

the future of building in the Hudson River Valley. Together with North River

you reach New York, the Shawangunk Ridge. This is the northern end of the

Architecture’s principal, Stephanie Bassler, a Certified Passive House Consultant,

Appalachian Mountains.”

Reynolds, and his team are dedicating their practice entirely to net-zero-energy

Reynolds is speaking not just as his own client, but as the Senior Designer

design. They envision houses as airtight shells in simple forms, on the outside

of North River Architecture + Planning in Stone Ridge, New York. Even on a day

somewhat reminiscent of the farmhouses and barns that dot the fertile landscape.

when the clouds hang low, and the sky sheds worrisome amounts of “wintry mix”

This was once a sheep-raising area and now hides its old stonewalls under the

precipitation, his double-story living room feels evenly heated, cozy all over. “This

canopies of vast second-growth forests.

house gets its vitality from nature; it feels like living right in the middle of it. “ he

Net-zero-energy construction, with its 21st-century technology and new 33

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“FOR 35 YEARS, I HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN HOW TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE HOUSES, AND, FINALLY, THE MARKET HAS ARRIVED”

Peter Reynolds, seen standing by one of his favorite pieces, an 18th century American storage cabinet made out of a mantlepiece

engineering concepts, is inspiring more and more architects. The process adds

not readily and affordably available in the US, and ventilation technology that

about 8 to 10% to a project’s budget. But substantial savings in electricity, oil, and

reaches every room. “What we are trying to show is that you can have emotionally

gas often make up for the increase within six or seven years — a financial incentive

lively, imaginative, creative spaces within very simple structures,“ Reynolds says. “I

that has lured more customers to consider this intriguing mode of construction.

am a design adventurer. Every house I do is new; every one is an experiment into

Consider, for example, some of the most important critical unseen elements

the future and the unknown.“

in Reynolds’ home. Behind a “rain screen” exterior wall of corrugated metal, four

For now, Reynolds is fortunate enough to inhabit this future on a daily basis.

inches of rigid foam insulation surrounds the shell on all sides of the house, even

Because he lives by himself, he only uses the ground floor of his house. Its 1,730

underneath the concrete slab. It tightly wraps an 8-inch stud construction with

square feet are centered around a generous combined living and kitchen area,

blown-in cellulose. Discreet solar panels on the part of the roof generate sufficient

framed by the master bedroom suite on one end, and a guest room and office

power to make his home energy independent — and even charge Reynolds’

suite on the other. On the second floor, two more bedrooms on each edge of the

Chevy Volt. The carbon emissions are zero. “It allows homeowners to reduce their

building are ready to be built out and connected by a bridge. All the heating,

footprint in a simple way,” Reynolds says.

plumbing and ventilation are already in place, as soon as space is needed.

There is an additional attraction in North River’s buildings: Apart from the

Many of the materials used inside are local or recycled. The cork panels that

exterior structure, there are no load-bearing walls inside. That creates flexible

so effectively control the noise level under the high ceiling of the living room are a

interiors, easily adaptable for growing (or shrinking) families.

remnant from another project. So are the oak beams holding them in place.

“For 35 years, I have been interested in how to build sustainable houses, and,

for drying dishes. A dishwasher is not among the items Reynolds needs in his life.

finally, the market has arrived,” says Reynolds. “People have gotten educated

He thinks that doing dishes can be pleasurable. (Again, just in case, cabinetry and

about it, and the world situation is serious enough that we are building only these

wiring are in place). Oak panels screen every-day cooking ingredients that would

types of houses,”

otherwise crowd the countertop.

More repurposed oak is used in the kitchen, with its cleverly concealed racks

Reynolds likes to describe himself as a typical New Englander, “utilitarian and

Soft, colorful cushions made from felted cashmere, wool, silk, and linen dot

functional.” He traces his ongoing fascination with the building process to growing

the living room couches. They are generated from a project named Waste No

up in Concord, Massachusetts, “surrounded by beautiful and historic buildings

More, initiated by the fashion house Eileen Fisher which encouraged its customers

and a certain literacy about good architecture.” And to memorably long summer

to return old garments when buying new ones. Reynolds renovated Fisher’s creative

months off the grid in Vinalhaven, Maine. Three out of four brothers are builders

headquarters on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to LEED Gold Standard. He still serves

today, one of them a licensed architect. “We were stuck in the woods without much

as a Sustainability Consultant to the company, and came up with different uses of

distraction. “We loved to draw and make stuff with our hands,” he remembers.

the felted fabrics in architectural and interior environments, from noise-canceling

Reynolds studied literature at Harvard and did a short stint as a journalist and

to merely decorative features like wall hangings and cushions. “We are not into

writer in Manhattan after graduation. Ultimately, he moved to the Hudson Valley

gimmicks, but it is nice to make something useful out of things that would otherwise

and started to build his own furniture, then went on to design entire houses. He

go to waste.”

briefly considered going back to school to study architecture but decided against

For the landscaping, Reynolds used broken stone harvested on the grounds

it. Even without the formal education, Reynolds’ business flourished. Over the

— the former site of a shale mine — to generously surround the building and to

years, he planned and built many individual residences in the area, as well as

create a huge terrace in front of the South facade. There is no lawn to mow. This,

several buildings at Bard College and the Omega Institute. However, his passion

Reynolds says, emphasizes the maxims of North River’s houses: Zero energy, zero

for hands-on work during the design and building phases ultimately won out over

maintenance, zero ticks.

running a large company, and, together with Bassler, he founded North River Architecture, named for an old Dutch term (“Noortrivier”) for the Hudson River.

During and after the construction phase, the practice opened the site to local builders to train them in practical aspects and materials used according to net-

The partners’ philosophy is adapted from the German Passivhaus. In addition

zero-energy standards. It is a movement Reynolds and his colleagues would like to

to the continuous insulation around the building shell, the practice relies on optimal

encourage in the region. “Good use is in the DNA of my work.” Good genes, ready

solar orientation, triple glazed windows imported from Poland because they are

to build on.

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WINTER 2020

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Over the desk in the guest wing, a plan for one of the two developments of passive houses North River Architecture is planning for the Roundout Valley; the main living area leading to the kitchen; eight layers of waterproof plaster lend a sensual elegance to the shower walls and a sleek contrast to the cement floor. Many of the oak slats harbor indirect lighting; blue is one of the owner’s favorite colors. The cork is ”caramelized”, manufactured without glue, and therefore resistant to moisture

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FLAVOR

THE FUTURE ISSUE

IT’S CREEK TO KEG AND SUN TO STEIN FOR NEW YORK’S

PROGRESSIVE 36

MOST SUSTAINABLE BREWERY

BREWS

By AL EXAND RA M ARVAR Photography MORIAH ASLAN

WINTER 2020

FLAVOR

THE FUTURE ISSUE

FROM LEFT: Mike McQuiston, co-Head Brewer; Mike dr y hopping “Devil’s Path”, a fermenter; Nick, Cellerman

T H E R O O M I S C AV E R N O U S—a space-age take on a pole barn, where in

American-made steel in the brewhouse.

place of timber framing there are white panels with bright red seams, networks of

To offset its energy footprint, the brewery has been built to draw on

red railings, and clean white pipes. Silver barrels are stacked stories high.

power from the sun and the groundwater. Geothermal wells provide interior

If you squint, the towering fermenting tanks look like a series of lunar landers.

climate control via a radiant floor heating and cooling system. Solar panels heat

The adjoining taproom, bustling with locals, is cozier and more familiar, with

the brewing water and feed energy back into the grid. To reduce waste, the team

wood paneling and long wooden communal tables. Still, here in the brewhouse

has shored up their supply chain to ensure they’re using as few raw materials as

of Livingston Manor’s Catskill Brewery, nothing looks particularly natural. Indeed,

possible for each batch of Pilsner, lager, IPA, and wheat beer: Yeast is harvested,

stepping behind the curtain into this beer-making process is stepping into the

repropagated, and repitched, and spent grain is repurposed as animal feed at a

future. And yet it takes a second look to see that this big red barn, with its tiered

local farm.

roofs covered in moss and solar panels, is one of the “greenest” breweries in the country.

And Catskill’s impact reaches well beyond the brewery walls: One of the business’s founding partners, Ramsay Adams, is also the founder and executive

As we dive into the 2020s, apocalyptic anxiety and existential dread

director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, an environmental advocacy nonprofit

about the state of the planet is going mainstream. However taxing that is for

working to protect the Catskills’ water supply, control development, and prevent

our sanity, we can celebrate some positive outcomes: In the world of commerce,

companies from launching fracking operations, as fracking has been shown to

companies are getting the message from consumers that if they want to stay

contaminate surrounding air and groundwater with toxic byproducts.

relevant, they need to be sustainable. Fashion lines from Adidas to Prada

Giving back to the environment isn’t pure goodwill, however; it serves the

are committing to sustainably made products. Aesop and The Body Shop are

product. “The pristine water here in the Catskills is an absolute advantage for us

retooling operations toward net-zero emissions. Old-school brands like Dunkin

as a brewery,” says Greg Lofaro, brewery director of operations since 2016. “It’s

Donuts are finally saying goodbye to Styrofoam, while boutique coffee purveyors

of unbelievable quality, really balanced, really delicious, very pure, so it needs

like Blue Bottle are doing away with disposable cups and bags entirely. While

very little treatment for us to use it in the brewing process.

big corporations are just starting to make headlines for green business practices,

All we do is pass it through a charcoal filter to remove the chlorine and other

many more nimble independent companies and small businesses are ahead of

additives. Thanks to this water, we have beers that are very crisp and clean…and

the curve, leading the charge toward sustainability from the ground up. In the

that helps highlight the environmental aspect of what we do behind the scenes

beverage industry, a group of craft brewers has already set the bar when it comes

here.”

to beer.

It may be a green business, but at its heart, Lofaro says, Catskill is all Just off Route 17, Catskill Brewery has been making fresh ales and lagers

about making good, honest (and award-winning) craft beer, and that responsibility

out of its Gold LEED-certified building (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy

lies with the head brewers, Bill Vernold and Mike McQuiston. “Making beer is

and Environmental Design) since 2014. Five years on, it’s still one of the most

resource-intensive, so finding a brewery that was mindful of its environmental

sustainable breweries in the country. “We make beer here, but we live here too,”

impact was important to me,” says McQuiston, who came to Catskill from a

the website reads. With environmental impact as a primary concern, they recycle,

microbrewery in Hawaii, after being drawn by the company’s LEED certification

reuse, and repurpose at every opportunity, using the highest-quality natural

and sustainability initiatives. “I came out to see the brewery, and after learning

ingredients (including pure Catskill mountain water) and materials they can

how important brewing sustainably was to the owners and learning about

get, from as nearby as they can source them—right down to all that slick, clean

Ramsay’s work with the Catskill Mountainkeeper, I was sold on the place.”

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FROM TOP: Eric, driver and brewer y worker; Bill and Mike, co-head brewers; “Freak Tractor”, a farmhouse ale that features a delicious complexit y derived from using wild yeast.

It has fruit-for ward flavors and won a Gold Medal in 2019 in the NY State Competition; the building is geo-thermally heated and cooled; Bill with malt in hand—Chocolate Wheat, Munich and Carafa

“MAKING BEER IS RESOURCE-INTENSIVE, SO FINDING A BREWERY THAT WAS MINDFUL OF ITS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT WAS IMPORTANT” Bags of hops and grain are piled around the milling room. McQuiston grabs a handful of golden grains, letting them spill from one palm to the other.

Once the malted grains are spent, he explains, they’ll send them over to Halloran Farm, a local producer of venison in Callicoon Center, where they can be used as deer feed.

Last year, Catskill increased its brewhouse barrel capacity by a third, and increased its fermentation capacity with the acquisition of new tanks.

As of this writing, new machinery is en route to produce the brewery’s first line of canned beers. As the business grows, so does the ideology from which it sprang.

“While having made the initial investment in such an environmentally friendly building has given us a leg up in terms of reducing our energy consumption and carbon footprint,” McQuiston says, “it’s definitely possible for more breweries to work these practices into their business plans.” The Brewers Association, he says, has a whole host of resources to help other breweries that want to get onboard.

As the effects of climate change intensify and natural resources grow more scant, it’s consoling to imagine we may be headed into a future where these brewing practices are the new normal. And it’s reassuring to know that, in the meantime, good cold beer is in healthy supply.

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HOME GROWN

THE FUTURE ISSUE

WINTER 2020

CLARK OLIVER It’s unusual to hear of a college senior getting sworn into political office just one month after graduation, but C L A R K OLI V E R is far from ordinary. The 21-year-old is one of the youngest legislators in New York, and the youngest ever to be elected on the Otsego County Board of Representatives. Born and raised in Oneonta, Oliver became motivated to create impactful changes after the 2016 election. For Oliver, mobilizing on a local level is the most effective way to create lasting transformations. We spoke with Oliver about his political motivations, what issues matter the most to him, and what it’s like to be the youngest legislator on the Otsego County Board.

By JIL L IAN S C H EINF EL D Photography NOAH K ALINA

What motivated you to study politics and pursue

equipped for the campaign side of things, but on the

the county or if they’ll ban it. We just don’t get why

a career in it?

policy side, I refer to county board members who are

legalization hasn’t happened yet.

2016 was my first opportunity to vote, and when

always helpful when I have a question about a local

that election went a very different way than I was

law or policy.

Do you have the ambition to work on a federal level in the future?

expecting, I realized I had to do more. I didn’t participate in any political activism for that election,

What are some of the issues that matter to you the

I’m not opposed to it. Right now, I’m focused on

but that loss influenced me to get involved with politics

most in your county that you want to take on?

learning the ins-and-outs of the county board and

locally, so I joined the Democratic committee.

At this month’s meeting, the county board voted to

local politics and getting my feet wet there. But I’ve

There, I learned that local involvement is one of the

implement a county administrator. We are one of

been inspired by Antonio Delgado, who we elected

most effective ways to make a change.

seven counties in the state of NY that didn’t have an

recently to congress. It’s something I’m open to in

executive, manager, or administrator. We were always

the future, but for now, I’m excited to work on behalf

Being the youngest legislator on your county’s board

lacking in planning for the future and finding ways

of my community on a more micro level.

is pretty cool. How did it feel to find out the results?

for different departments in the county government

Well, surprisingly, nobody ran against me. The district

to work together and co-elect more seamlessly.

Are there any other politicians in addition to

has a Democratic lean. I announced pretty early and

So, I’m really glad to see that passed. I’m passionate

Delgado that you find inspiring?

was expecting opposition, mainly because I was 20.

about environmental sustainability, and I think that

Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. The way that she’s able

When I announced, even being 21 now, I couldn’t

local governments have to take the lead on that.

to describe her positions and how she’s amassed

imagine that the Republicans wouldn’t find an

The federal government has frankly failed at this

a substantial social media following is incredible.

opponent to run against me. Still, I grew up in this

point, and NY State has set out some ambitious goals

I mean, she’s the youngest person ever elected to

area, so I know a lot of people and worked very hard

environmentally, but that won’t happen unless the local

the house of representatives, that alone is very

regardless of running unopposed. I still knocked on

governments are on board and willing to fund these

inspiring. She makes progressive politics so palatable

as many doors as possible. It was exciting to see that

mandates. The environment is my number one issue.

to average people.

representative that proceeded me. He was the vice-

Is there a particular issue you find stands out most

Do you have any political book recommendations?

chair of the board and also well-known in the

strongly in your friend group?

One that helped me a great deal post-2016 election

community. Despite being unopposed, there was still a

The prominent issue that friends of mine and others

was “What Happened” by Hillary Clinton. I’m sure

fair amount of support behind me, and that felt great.

are pretty passionate about is marijuana legalization.

a lot of people have already read that, but she gives

I earned the same amount of votes as the county

And obviously, a lot of young people like to smoke

a comprehensive rundown on what exactly she thinks

Do you have people who are mentoring you through

pot, but for me, it’s more a revenue thing. I live in

went wrong in the 2016 election. I was a big Bernie

the process?

Oneonta, which is a college town, and we have a

Sanders supporter, but I got behind Hilary after the

I managed a state senate campaign in the 2018 cycle,

notorious nickname, “Stoneyonta,” and I see that

primary. Her insight was fascinating, and for the

and I worked on a congressional campaign, so when

as an opportunity for revenue. If NY State does end

people who see her as this villain, it humanized

people are campaigning around here, I’m one of the

up legalizing marijuana, it will be up to the county

her more for me and gave an accurate and helpful

people that they will ask to help. I was pretty well-

board whether or not we’ll have recreational sales in

play-by-play of the election.

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A CONVERSATION WITH

THE FUTURE ISSUE

SPACEFACTORY FOUNDER & ARCHITECT DAVID MALLOT Right now somewhere in Garrison, a multi-planetary construction technology company is creating scalable, sustainable solutions for earth and space, like 3-D printed housing, for clients like NASA. In conversation with DVEIGHT’S Michael Mundy, AI SPACEFACTORY founder DAV I D M A L OTT discusses MARTHAs, TERAs, and how his work on the banks of the Hudson is about to revolutionize the construction industry on Earth.

Interview M IC H AEL M UNDY Portrait M ART IN AD O L F S SON Renderings AI SPACE FACTORY & PLOMP 42

A CONVERSATION WITH

THE FUTURE ISSUE

MICHAEL MUNDY: The moment I saw your building

is it a desert? Are there any historical or cultural

from just a not wasting space perspective. In America,

design, I loved it, probably before I even knew it.

context which you should take into consideration?

houses are getting larger and larger. So TERA is

Visually, it’s just so beautiful and pleasing to the eye.

So these are all influence—like the shape influence,

meant to address that. Like, do we actually need that

Clearly, there are a lot of logistics involved and other

like where we put the windows, you can even look at

big of a footprint for each person? These are more

influences on the aesthetic. Is there a particular sort

different colorations, it’s kind of like a chameleon,

compact homes, but we want to do it in a way where

of genesis of this design?

its skin will begin to adapt. And so, it’s not something

you don’t feel like you’re giving up anything.

WINTER 2020

you can do with other, modular construction. When

You might give up just pure square footage,

DAVID MALLOT: Yes, so TERA is the model that we’re

you talk about forward-facing construction, you’re

but you’re not losing the experience of anything.

building upstate in Garrison, NY. And before TERA,

primarily talking about prefabricated, modular, or

You’re kind of getting a new and unique experience.

there was MARSHA, which is the Mars habitat design

3D-printed construction—things that aren’t just built

made for NASA. And that was the genesis of the

traditionally with 2x4s or steel and concrete.

MM: It’s sort of transcendent, that’s what I like about

form—it was a response to these structural forces that

Modular means it’s built-in a factory and then

it so much. You get so much at first glance. It’s like

are acting on the building. So the situation on Mars is

shipped in pieces and dropped on site. In our case,

you discovered the thing that’s been there all along,

that the external atmosphere is only one

we’re 3D-printing on the site itself literally.

and no one put their finger on yet. So there’s a

percent of the internal atmosphere. It’s highly

And the advantage with 3D-printing is you can

refreshing quality to it that I find just so enchanting.

pressurized relative to the outside. If you imagine a

provide a greater level of customization or adaptation

I want to sign up to be one of the first people to spend

Coca-Cola can for example. It’s shaped the way it

to the local context because you don’t have to rely

a weekend or just to experience it. There are a lot of

is because it’s a very efficient shape for containing

on economies of scale like the way that you do a

tiny and modern houses out there. It’s not a new

higher amounts of pressure on the inside than the

prefab or modular. It’s just changing the code that

idea, but this is the first time it’s all been presented

outside. The egg shape is the most efficient form to

the 3D-printer prints to within certain parameters.

in this way. The idea of using local materials, is that

address those structural challenges of building on

I mean, you’ve got to work out the engineering,

something you could do on earth too?

Mars. So we repurposed this to earth. We’re not

the structure, but within that, you can understand

going to be faced with the same pressure

where you can make changes that can be highly

DM: Absolutely. Technologically, we’re not 100%

differentials, but it is a more aerodynamic form.

localized and almost instantaneously.

there yet, but that’s where we want to be in two

If you noticed, there’s not a big roof. So when it

years—to be able to go out to a site, through means

comes to off-grid living, it’s much better suited for

MM: It was pretty fortunate that the shape of it sort

of sampling and scanning, to be able to assess what

snow and high wind conditions.

of works out technically for all the needs that you

the resources are that are available there. We might

discussed already, but there’s no escaping the fact

have to bring some polymers with us to use as a

MM: There’s an aesthetic to it. Was there anything

that it’s incredibly refreshing. For me, it inspires

kind of glue to hold those materials together…

in particular that brought these ideas to you?

something… maybe the idea of traveling to unknown

But essentially, we’d go to the site, assess what’s

places. It looks like a station, but it also looks like an

there, use that as the 3D-printing material. So the

DM: Yes, I guess other than space, the other big

egg, which for me represents something—a new

thing that grows out of the site will automatically

inspiration on my design has been genetics and the

beginning—and the idea of exploration, going to

feel like it belongs there because it’s made of the

whole idea about evolution. Think about taking the

places that you’ve never been before, even if it is

material of the place. This is exactly what architecture

DNA of a building. It depends on where you seed

upstate in the woods. You feel you’ve come upon

used to be like in the stone age. It was always made

it; the results should be different. So whether it’s the

something special. Have you built any more of

of the materials which you could access locally.

Mars version or the earth version, you can imagine

these yet?

It’s only within the last hundred years or so that

if we took this design and put it somewhere else,

architecture has become internationalized. We now

it’s going to evolve into yet a different thing because

DM: So the first one’s under construction in Garrison,

have the means to make materials in one place and

it needs to adapt and respond to the forces that are

NY. We printed a prototype for the NASA one, which

ship them across the world and take a design that’s

around it. It’s true even when I design skyscrapers;

is smaller, and it’s kind of like this [holds up a scale

been done by people here and superimpose them

in that context, you have to understand what a

model]. Maybe not as tall, but something like this

in different cultural contexts—so that’s international

building is at the level of the DNA and be able to

relative to the scale of what we’re putting out in

architecture. In a way, TERA sort of goes back to the

assess what forces are going to act on the building.

Garrison. It wasn’t big enough to go inside because

roots of architecture, which is something that’s made

They could be anything, not just structural forces.

we only had a small door, but we stuck a camera

of the materials that are sourced locally, that’s very

It could be sun, wind, rain, also people, social and

head inside it, and it’s pretty magical as a space.

responsive to what’s happening around it.

cultural context, and history. So you look for whatever

It’s got the Oculus at the top. It’s round and egg-like.

is unique or different about the particular site and

And so when we thought about how to do the interior

MM: Who are some of the people that influenced

think about how this DNA adapts or mutates, given

design, we wanted to do it in a way that would still

you when you were getting into architecture?

those particular set of conditions. And then you end

feel like you’re within that one space of the egg.

up with something which is, number one, unique

No full floors or rooms that break up the overall

DM: When you’re talking about organic architecture,

because it’s growing out of the site, and two because

sensitive shape. More like a kind of treehouse within

Frank Lloyd Wright immediately comes to mind…

it does grow out of the site, it just feels like it belongs.

the egg that allows you to just feel like you’re still

building with nature, for me specifically, is Japanese

Because of that approach, the building feels like it

within the egg.

architecture (which is what influenced Wright).

belongs to that site because it literally grew out of that context.

MM: Would you see these things being 3-D printed?

I’m half Japanese. I grew up half my life exposed MM: It’s a very amorphous quality. I saw of video

to not just the architecture of Japan but the kind of

on your website where the person’s going up this

ethos behind the whole thing. So when we talk about

beautiful staircase.

tiny home living, that’s very Japanese. When you talk

If so, would the design sort of morph from place to place?

about saving materials and not letting anything go to DM: Yes, part of it feels like Mars on earth. It’s not

waste and recycling, that’s very Japanese as well.

a huge house. We’re trying to do a lot of things right.

My grandparents, for example, would keep

DM: Yes, I think it could, you know. It might start with

One is talking about the future and living in space.

everything. Somehow they just felt it was too

the same basic DNA, the same basic shape. But then

Still, when you talk about what it means to live and

wasteful to throw anything away.

depending on what materials we would find on the

build on earth sustainably, there’s the construction

site… What kind of climate is it? Is it wet, is it cold,

technology part, the recyclable materials, but also

44

DM: A lot of it came out of postwar Japan. Japan

THE FUTURE ISSUE

A CONVERSATION WITH

WINTER 2020

wasn’t always the rich country we sort of see now.

new ideal. They’re much more interested in what’s

want to pour money into adding electrical lines and

After World War II, it was very impoverished.

online in virtual reality. So that leaves behind a lot of

water lines and septic systems and all these sorts of

And so my grandparents’ generation built up this

the traffic that one usually brings in a home.

things. Developing a piece of raw land is extremely

whole way of living, which was more compact and

DM: Yes, my kids are 13 and 15—I think so.

expensive. If you can find a way to build on land

less wasteful. I sort of alternate between that as a

When life becomes more online, you don’t need stuff,

that’s (construction-wise) more sustainable but also

lifestyle. When we moved back to suburban United

you know. It’s more about platforms and experiences.

doesn’t require that kind of heavy pre-development

States, we would live in a bigger house. Everyone

So technology plays a big part in that. Our feeling on

of the land…

had their own room. You’d air condition and heat the

this is it’s the first one we’re building, we’re doing it

entire house, irrespective of who was in what room.

as an Airbnb to sort of maximize people’s exposure

And that hasn’t changed today. Only recently have

to it but it also touches on themes. Other than just

we started talking about smart homes and only

the Airbnb kind of like co-living concept, we see a lot

DM: You’re exactly right. If you look at some of the

heating the spaces that people are using.

more interest now in destination living or off-grid

problems plaguing American cities, it’s that there is

But you know, by and large, I think, no offense,

living. People who want to live more simply.

all this infrastructure that’d we’ve built that go back

but Americans live extremely wastefully and we use

Maybe they work in the city and they want a

to the 60s and is getting really old and very expensive

more space than we need. We use more energy

completely different experience. Or if they want

to maintain.

than we need. If everyone in the world lived like an

to work in the city but want to live in a place that is

American, we’d have a huge climate crisis on our

completely sustainable and off-grid. It’s been sort of

hands, right? But at the same time, I don’t think

surprising since we launched this. To see how many

people are going to trade in their lifestyle unless

people have come to us and said, ‘We want this,

DM: Exactly. So by planning ahead, planning for the

there’s a better alternative. And that’s what we’re

but can you do this on our property in a completely

future, a little bit… My personal feeling is that at the

trying to initiate. If you’re a TERA-ist, you can be

off-grid way? We want off-grid power, off-grid water,

end of the day, we should be able to recycle every

sustainable, but it doesn’t mean you have to give

everything completely sustainable and completely

one of these buildings or even let them compost

up on your comfort. We’re introducing a new way of

off-grid.’ So that was interesting.

and just biodegrade back into the soil so that our

life, which we hope is more appealing than the one that we currently have.

MM: And the crazy maintenance…

MM: No sort of longevity built into it.

environmental footprint ends up being zero.

MM: And you’re getting a lot of requests like that?

And things just return back to nature. So we can kind of leave things like as we discovered them, you know.

MM: I think younger people are really, believe it or

DM: I would say nine times out of 10, that’s the

Granted, on earth, it’s probably a little bit late for

not—I don’t know if you have kids—becoming less

request. People who want this—whether it’s their

that, but when you think about if there is this multi-

materialistic. And I think they are less concerned with

primary home or their little cabin in the woods—

planetary future, we should carry that philosophy with

acquiring things as the generation before. Even within

have this request to make it off-grid. I think it’s partly

us. So if we go and start building a new place, then

the younger generation, there is a sort of hierarchy

driven by the desire to live more simply and more

from day one we should think about doing it in a way

of desirability. My older kids have a greater desire to

sustainably. But it’s also a cost factor. If someone

where, once we leave that place, it can return back to

have things, and my little one even less. I think it’s a

buys an underdeveloped piece of land, they don’t

its pristine condition.

“AMERICANS LIVE EXTREMELY

WASTEFULLY AND WE USE MORE SPACE THAN WE NEED. WE USE MORE ENERGY THAN WE NEED. IF EVERYONE IN THE WORLD LIVED LIKE AN AMERICAN, WE’D HAVE A HUGE CLIMATE CRISIS ON OUR HANDS”

THE RURALIST

WINTER 2020

THE FUTURE ISSUE

SENATOR JEN METZGER When Jen Metzger was elected New York state senator for the 42nd district in November 2018, she was part of a new Democratic wave that wrangled control of the senate after eight years of Republican domination. Since taking office, she’s made environmental issues one of her top priorities—introducing a bill to permanently ban fracking, pushing through a law to help increase electric-vehicle charging stations, and proposing sales-tax exemptions for the purchase of electric cars. It’s all part of Metzger’s vision for a brighter, more progressive New York—and, as she tells Michael Mundy, she’s just getting started.

Interview and Portrait M I C H A E L M U N DY It seems like you’ve been really busy in 2019.

energy destiny. So we did a lot of work with local

accelerate that shift, we have to make sure that the

Yes, I’ve hit the ground running as the new

governments to help them shift to a more locally

infrastructure is where it needs to be. Another piece

state senator.

based, clean energy economy and system.

of the law is looking at how we can accelerate

I’ve continued this work at the state level.

consumer adoption of electric vehicles. I have a

I’m curious, what made you get into politics?

number of bills on the topic of electric vehicle

I’ve always been a student of politics but I didn’t

We face a climate crisis. We really have to do all

infrastructure [chuckles], but I have another bill that

envision myself running for state office, though I’ve

that we can to reduce the severity of the impact.

will give a sales tax break on electric vehicle purchas-

been involved in local government in Ulster County

But it also presents huge opportunities for our rural

es up to $30,000. We’re not subsidizing the fanciest

for 12 years. I chaired the town’s environmental

communities in terms of ramping up investments

Teslas, but we’re making it accessible. We already

commission, served as a deputy town supervisor,

in clean energy. In my mind, that is achieving true

have a state rebate in place right now. The utilities

and was on the town council. I also chair the

energy independence. Right now we import all of

are increasingly directed to offer their own rebates

agriculture committee. (We have hundreds of farms

our fossil fuels. We could be generating our energy

on electricity and incentives for electric vehicles.

in this district. It’s by far the largest—geographically

right here in New York state. There are huge jobs and

So a lot is happening on this front but we must focus

speaking—in the Democratic conference.) So I’ve

investment opportunities in so many areas that have

on that shift.

certainly been involved in policy for several years,

multiple benefits for our region, beyond the climate

but I felt it was important to bring a community

benefits. So I see it as very exciting and I’m doing a

These days, not enough people seem to be aware

perspective to the state legislature. Nearly all of

lot of work to help accelerate that shift.

of their local politics and politicians. What are some suggestions you recommend for people to

the members of the Democratic majority represent urban or largely downstate or more suburban areas.

I understand you’re pushing to expand our electric

participate more?

We have our own particular challenges and

vehicle infrastructure. Can you talk a little more

Do you know the expression, ‘all politics is local’?

opportunities in our rural communities and that

about that?

I always take that view with me to the state Senate.

perspective needs to be represented.

So, I am an electric vehicle driver. I have a Chevy

What matters to people most is what’s going on

Bolt, which is a fully electric car. One of the biggest

in their own backyard and their communities

You also co-founded The Citizens for Local Power

issues that people have is range anxiety—they’re not

day-to-day. What we’re doing at the local level is

organization. Can you tell me a little bit more

going to be able to get to where they need to go.

going to have a huge impact on whether we reach

about that?

But I’ve never had a problem in my giant district

our state goals on those issues. So we have to be

Just to give you some background: I’ve been working

and I take this car everywhere. We have to make

attentive to the needs of communities and people

on climate and environmental issues for many years;

this shift to electric vehicles. Transportation is the

have to be engaged in these policy discussions.

so that’s always been an area of real concern and

largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in

You know, I don’t like top-down solutions. I feel it’s

a passion of mine. Citizens for Local Power—we got

New York state. And to do that, we have to make

really important for our communities to be part of

our start organizing opposition to the takeover of our

sure that we have the infrastructure in place—this

the policy conversations and for me to be accessible.

utility in Ulster County by a Canadian multinational

is something I started doing at the local level.

I try to be out in the communities I represent as much

trading company. Many people don’t realize this,

There are environmental benefits, but again,

as possible. I encourage people to reach out to me

but almost all of the utilities in New York state are

there are also economic development benefits.

about their concerns, about their priorities. I think

owned by foreign companies. If you think about it,

communication with elected officials is so important

this is the distribution of our electricity infrastructure.

What ultimately would drive this issue is when

and I always encourage people to get involved in

It’s important to our safety and well being and

consumer demand becomes strong enough, right?

local government, in community organizations,

it’s something that we really want to be in local

So, the legislation that I sponsored that was just

all that’s going on locally, and to volunteer.

hands. We saw that there was a real need for our

signed into law, requires NYSERDA to assess the state

There’s no more gratifying work and the impacts

communities to have a voice in energy policy at the

of easing infrastructure in New York state, identify the

of your actions when you get involved at the

state level. We also tapped into this strong desire

gaps, and develop a plan to fill those gaps. It can’t

local level are tangible. You can see it and it’s

by communities for more control over their own

just be left to the market to decide. If we’re going to

very rewarding.

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IN PERSON

THE FUTURE ISSUE

Restoration A c t A WALL STREET TYCOON BETS BIG ON MAIN STREET

When Chuck and Deborah Royce Bought Three Run-Down Bars in Tannersville in 2003, They Lit the Spark of a Renaissance

By E DDIE B R A N N A N Portrait STE PHAN SCHACHE R 14

THE FUTURE ISSUE

IN PERSON

WINTER 2020

“THE THING IS,” EXPLAINS CHUCK ROYCE, “YOU CAN’T GO TO HUNTER MOUNTAIN WITHOUT GOING THROUGH TANNERSVILLE. YOU CAN’T GET OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT AND GO AROUND. YOU CAN’T GO VIA WOODSTOCK. YOU CAN ONLY GET TO HUNTER BY GOING TO TANNERSVILLE FIRST.”

“ T H E T H I N G I S ,” explains Chuck Royce, “you can’t go to Hunter Mountain

about it at the time. “For years, the burghers of Tannersville had wondered how to

without going through Tannersville. You can’t get off at the next exit and go around.

revive the area’s economy and its lost tourism glory,” the writer reflected. “If they

You can’t go via Woodstock. You can only get to Hunter by going to Tannersville

were serious about making the village a destination, why not do to Tannersville,

first.” That geographical imperative has shaped Tannersville’s history, from its

population 440, what she had done to her house?”

19th-century zenith to its late-20th century nadir. But in the 21st century, the village of Tannersville is emerging from the mountain resort’s shadow, and flourishing as

So it came to be. Now dubbed “The Painted Village in the Sky,” Tannersville

a destination in its own right, thanks to Royce and his wife, Deborah.

has turned the tide. The Hunter Foundation has played a significant role in the village’s revitalization. Although modest about their role, the Royces have given

Tannersville sits 1,900 feet up in the Catskills in Greene County, New York.

over $30 million to the foundation and the village to support numerous projects,

Founded, as the name suggests, as a hub for the local tanning industry, the village,

including an organic community farm next to the high school, revitalization of the

like many others in reasonable proximity to New York City, transitioned in the

significant Gooseberry Creek (with a half-million-dollar state-government grant),

late 19th century into a tourist destination for well-heeled New Yorkers fleeing

the restoration of Rip Van Winkle Lake and a network of community trails.

the city’s summer miasmas. With this influx of prosperous aesthetes seeking fresher mountain air and uplifting views, upstate New York became a hotbed of

But the Royces look at their work through a human-scale lens. One of their first

intellectualism and philosophy. Art also thrived; Candace Wheeler, the “mother of

missions was to bring a pharmacy to the town. The big chains wouldn’t entertain

interior design” and founder of the Society of Decorative Arts, was born in nearby

it, but they found a local pharmacist who would, and now Tannersville residents no

Delhi and founded the Onteora Club in Tannersville in the late 19th century. The

longer need to descend the mountain to obtain their remedies. The pair opened

club’s early visitors included writer Mark Twain, conservationist John Burroughs

the Deer Mountain Inn, a 19th-century timber-framed hotel on a wooded 168-acre

and documentary painter of NYC George Bellows. The club was the crucible for

property in the hills above Tannersville, which is now a thriving destination for

what Wheeler described as an “experiment in plain living with high thinking.” In

visitors to the region. And where they were pioneers, now others are flocking to join

the 20th century, the village’s proximity to Hunter led to it becoming the ski resort’s

in the village’s renewal. The Villa Maria hotel in Haines Falls was bought by the

commercial district with inns, restaurants, and shopping. Still, by the early 2000s,

Hunter Foundation and sold in 2017 to private developers who plan to reopen it.

Tannersville was a shadow of its former self. Locals likened it to a Jersey Shore

The Royces have seen their initial investment bear fruit. “It’s like having children,”

town, with a main street composed mainly of rowdy bars catering to the après-

says Deborah. “You watch them grow, and then they have their own lives.”

ski crowd. The village’s A&P grocery had shuttered, and if a resident needed a prescription filled, they had to go all the way down the mountain to Saugerties.

Chuck Royce made his reputation on Wall Street as an innovator of what came to be known as small- and micro-cap investments. In a nutshell, these investments,

Enter Chuck and Deborah Royce. Royce is a Wall Street legend, a billionaire

while riskier than blue-chip stocks, carry a greater return. Some of the small

investor and fund manager who, with his wife Deborah, has played a significant

businesses that he invests in may fail but the majority prosper, and this success is

role in Tannersville’s 21st-century rebound. Back in 2003, “it so happened,” Chuck

what has led to his legendary status and wealth. His speculation in Tannersville was

recalls, “that out of the blue an owner of three bars got in some trouble and wanted

similarly based on a diverse portfolio of projects. “A number of very different kinds

to or had to sell, or was being run out of town.” Chuck had discovered Tannersville

of investments will come together to create a greater community whole,” reported

through a stay at the Onteora and was entranced by the village. “Bingo!” He said.

Hudson Valley One of his endeavors. “Some will work better than others. The trick

“I fell head over heels with it.” He bought a property that same summer. So when

is how to choose the proper proportions of the individual parts and stick with the

the bars on main street became available, he and Deborah, he says, “out of a sense

decisions.”

of ‘that would be interesting’…bought them all.” Unfortunately, the Royce’s recall, amidst the village’s continuing decline, “so many people had just left, abandoned

As a new decade dawns, Royce takes some pride in his successful strategy.

the mountaintop, and more and more buildings became available.” The Royces

Tannersville has been restored to what he considers its rightful place as a destination

continued to buy, using state grants to restore the historic buildings and working

for discerning city-dwellers seeking to better themselves amidst the beauty of the

closely with Sean Byrne, a fierce champion of the village and chairman of the

Catskills. He has watched the wave of NYC emigrés who’ve made such a significant

Hunter Foundation, a local organization dedicated to rebuilding both the structures

contribution to our region in recent years with approval. But he’s also amused by

and economy of Tannersville and neighboring villages.

one unexpected facet of this influx of late, the changing demographics of those well-heeled summer refugees from the city. “There’s this more recent trend that I’m

At the same time, a village resident and artist, Elena Agostinis Patterson, painted

not sure I would have predicted,” he says. “Every season, the Deer Mountain Inn is

her gray house orange, purple, yellow, and green. The New York Times wrote

totally full, and half the guests are from Brooklyn!”

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A BIGGER PURPOSE IN TUXEDO PARK & SLOATSBURG

It seems that to be able to envision a radical future, you must also have an unwavering understanding of the past.

Words and Photography SANDY SOOHOO

TU CK ED AWAY B E H I N D A WA LL OF H E D G E S on 17, at the back corner of

full of Saratoga Springs water. Our room had its own bathroom, the softest sheets,

the commuter parking lot for the Sloatsburg Metro-North, is the newly instituted,

and a bed that was not too soft or too hard. So, for twelve hours or so, at least, we

high-end inn and resort complete with a fitness center, pool, open-air restaurant and

wanted for nothing.

soon to be operating full lodge with dinner service and an impressive bar. When the

Tuxedo Park itself is a tiny community comprised of around 800 people at the

inn’s host Geena met us to let us in, leading us through a quaint market and then

last census, and Sloatsburg isn’t terribly larger, clocking in at about 3,000. This

down a garden path to our house for the night, the hidden nature of the Mountain

seemingly untapped location is less than two hours from New York City, and directly

Club only added to the effect of its appeal— everyone wants to be admitted to

on the edge of the sprawling Harriman State Park that boasts over 45,000 acres of

a secret garden that houses delicious things and luxurious places to lounge. Our

nature trails, lakes, and land that’s been protected since it very nearly became the

house, named Twin Peaks and designed with a soothing palette of neutrals, had a

grounds for a prison in the early 1900s. While the location seems ideal, development

sitting area with an enormous couch stuffed with feathers, a 60-inch TV, and a fridge

has come relatively slowly to the region — though it offers an endless amount of

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hiking, swimming, kayaking, and biking, the social centers of the two towns were

Bruno tells me as we drive through the expanse of the park behind the inn. I’m here

severely lacking. Enter Michael Bruno, the founder of 1stdibs.com, an online antique

to witness the impressive beauty of the area though we’re driving through a fog so

marketplace that changed antique dealing forever— and an entrepreneur with an

thick we can barely see the water on the four or five lakes we pass; my photographs

expert’s taste for historical relevance, who quickly recognized the invaluable nature

are coming out like misty sketches of trees through clouds. The park is immense—

of the area for both its location and history. It seems that to be able to envision a

due to the inclement weather we’re driving, but if it had been nicer out we would

radical future, you must also have an unwavering understanding of the past. Initially,

have been on a hike— and Mr. Bruno is telling me about the area, the development

the plans were for a small antique market and neighborhood cafe on the highly

of the community, how creating something that offers a multi-faceted experience

trafficked but not highly developed stretch of Route 17. As neighboring properties

can be a huge draw for all sorts of city folk young and old alike. The questions I

became available, Mr. Bruno expanded his vision accordingly. He bought up the row

want to ask him are too vague and center around, I guess, my own problems when

of dilapidated 1800s houses on Route 17, as well as the land behind the houses that

imagining a future. I want to ask: what made you believe all this was possible? To

looked like a junkyard, and got to work reviving a whole community by way of an

which, I can only assume, the answer is: why wouldn’t it be possible? The effect

inn, a marketplace, and a restaurant.

that exudes off Michael Bruno is one of intense optimism. This appeared to me to be someone who believes with their entire being that if you put good things into a

The local inn has always been a kind of touchstone for a town. “Every community

project— building a place to stay with the best materials, a restaurant that has its

should have a good inn… it’s a place for families to build memories around,” Mr.

own farmland, a marketplace offering organic produce, impeccably landscaped

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“AS WE TOUR THE TOWN, I CAN SEE

THE DEPTH AND INTELLIGENCE OF MR. BRUNO’S IDEAS AS THE MANIFESTATION OF ONE MAN’S VISION OF SUBURBAN RENEWAL”

garden areas— you will eventually reap the rewards of your work. It helps to have

Brick Oven Pizza, offering a variety of innovative pies made with fresh ingredients

the capital for it. But within the first year of opening Valley Rock Inn & Mountain

and fired in a custom-made brick oven stove that reads Tuxedo in its mosaic

Club, they were operating in the black— which is as much of a triumph as its

facade. We arrived late on a Friday, but my partner and I were able to sample

inception was, to begin with.

their pepperoni pizza, and a vodka sauce pizza, the latter of which we decided was the winner. We took a tiramisu to go, which I ate later by the spoonful on the

The community so far has reacted positively to all these developments. And

couch, its layers of fluffy whipped mascarpone contrasting with the espresso-soaked

Mr. Bruno is not done yet— by 2020 they plan to have the full lodge and restaurant

biscuits making just the right texture. There was no shortage of food at the inn,

open to the public, an expanded marketplace with a cafe and a hot and cold salad

either— our breakfast consisted of a delicately made quiche, a blueberry pastry

bar and a screening room for movie premieres and business conferences alike.

with so many blueberries they stained our hands, and some excellent smashed and

As we tour the town, I can see the depth and intelligence of Mr. Bruno’s ideas as

crispy potatoes that neither of us could stop eating even when we were full. Even

the manifestation of one man’s vision of suburban renewal. But is it possible to

with these new options becoming available, there is still the local standby, Dottie

reinvent a town on your own? In the best of circumstances, you can hope the laws

Audrey’s, where we fueled up on a gingerbread latte and the most perfect chocolate

of attraction are on your side, and your efforts will inspire others to dream the

chip cookie before taking a quick hike in the rain, around a beautiful lake we could

same. To a certain extent, they have— entrepreneurs are coming to the area with

barely see and then heading home in the approaching dark—full of enough treats

new ideas centered around local experiences. There is the recently opened Steve’s

and Mr. Bruno’s contagious optimism that I didn’t eat for days.

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LIST

1 PORTR AIT IV In a time where we’re tracked by every app, facial recognition technology is ubiquitous, and privacy is an impossibility, we long for a chance to be anonymous. This faceless 27.75 x 20-inch photographic print in a simple wooden frame, by a conveniently unnamed Scandinavian artist, says it all without giving anything away. Available at Nest, 15 Main Street, Narrowsburg, for $250

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2 K/LLER COLLECTION DOUBLE PEAK RING IN SILVER This bold stunner is hand-cast with recycled silver and packaged in Brooklyn, where K/LLER COLLECTION’s Katie deGuzman creates jewelry with eolithic materials and oxidized, rough-hewn metals inspired by natural forms, architecture, alchemy and androgyny for looks that are gritty, sleek, and as timeless as they are futuristic. Available at Dear, 54 Main Street, Livingston Manor, for $161

It’s 2020, and the future is now.

3 RICK OWENS METALLIC-EFFECT DR APED DRESS Rick Owens’ avant-garde pieces tend to push the boundaries of traditional shapes, as seen in this silver-tone metallic effect draped dress. Long, loose, side-slitted, boat-necked and asymmetric style, this isn’t the rigid robot fashion of our past visions of the future — it’s outer space-ready and comfortable.

Available at Kasuri, 1 Warren Street, Hudson, for $984

But what does that mean, exactly?

Market Editor MANDY COON is making the call: The future is functionalism. The future is fresh

4 KIM M ARKEL GLOW TABLE Sustainable furniture is the next frontier: Handcrafted from cured and polished reclaimed plastics, this whimsical translucent stool or side table comes home in translucent aqua, periwinkle, grey, pink, peach, yellow, frosted clear, or custom colors on request.

Available at kimmarkel.com/shop/glow-table for $990

air. The future is longing for anonymity. Fashion is shiny-chic and Mars mission-ready, and accessories are armor.

5 FLYING FORTRESS BY RONALD BL ADEN After the sudden death of the landmark European gallerist and collector that commissioned it, Ronald Bladen — contemporary of Richard Serra and Claes Oldenburg — wrote of his sculptural work ‘Flying Fortress’: “The motivation of this form was to produce the illusion of a stationary object moving through space yet anchored to the earth. Not to give one that much time to dwell on it, but more to feel as it rushes by.” See it now at the Katonah Museum.

On view at the Katonah Museum of Art, 134 Jay Street, Katonah

Products are sustainable, from recycled to carbon-neutral.

Here are eight recommendations to

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make you future-ready.

6 ARNE JACOBSEN STEEL SAL AD BOWL At first glance it may seem outlandish to drop $300 on a salad bowl but in the 2020s, local farm-raised salad is all we want and hope to eat anyway. And further, this gem — designed in 1972 by Danish architect, designer, and disciple of functionalism Arne Jacobsen — is as much an art piece as an indispensable piece of retrofuturistic kitchenware.

Available at Sunny’s Pop, 76 Main Street, Narrowsburg for $300

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7 LUMIPOD Made in France, this prefab shelter is an eco-conscious tiny house, but with sexy curves. The 183-square-foot one-bed, one-bath is framed with aluminum, clad in burnt wood, and lined inside with plywood and floor-to-ceiling windows that slide completely open to make the room a covered extension of the outdoors. Order six months in advance for your cabin in the woods of the future.

Available at lumi-pod.com, price on request 8 AIR CO. VODK A Meet the first-ever carbon-negative booze. While all vodka is distilled down to a clear, pure liquid, Air Co. takes purity to a new level. CO2 from the atmosphere, water from upstate New York, and solar electricity are combined to form ethanol and oxygen, which is then distilled to an 80-proof vodka fit for a martini.

It sounds biblical, but it’s 2020s science: No need for farming, grain or irrigation, and hand-bottled in reusable materials, this is now the most eco-friendly spirit on Earth.

Information at aircompany.com Market Editor MANDY COON Copy Editor ALE XANDRA MARVAR

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