Manor Ink Jan/Feb I2021 Issue

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MANOR INK

JAN./FEB. 2021 | MANORINK.ORG

IN THIS ISSUE

WORDS MATTER Mackenzie Carlson, left, and Sienna Dutcher prove that a civil discussion about politics is still possible. Provided photos

GONE IN A DAY

60 Main St. demolished

in dramatic take-down

PAGES 18, 19

5G ON THE WAY

County moves ahead

with broadband tower plan

PAGE 7

DELAWARE COMPANY

Organization works to

preserve D&H canal story

PAGE 13

Can we talk?

Two students defy today’s volatile political environment

n THE NEW YEAR

kicked off with something

no American could have

expected: a storming of

the United States Capitol

by radical supporters of

Donald Trump.

By Demi Budd and Osei Helper | Manor Ink

In mob-like fashion, these supporters

vandalized and looted the building, and

they did so during the certification of the

2020 presidential election, putting a stop

to the process for several hours. It was a

violent method of spreading their erroneous

message: that the election was rigged,

and the winner was President Trump.

This election has certainly left the country

divided, as has Trump’s presidency as

a whole. We are the United States, but its

people are anything but.

But the youth of today who will soon

become millions of voters are educating

themselves politically and beginning to

choose sides. Their opinions have been

formed, or are currently (re)forming as

events such as those on Jan. 6 in Washington,

DC, unfold.

The divide seen in the voters in the

election is apparent in these future voters

as well. To dig more into this gap and

how young people might find common

ground, Manor Ink reached out to Livingston

Manor high schoolers.

Continued on pg. 4

2 | JAN./FEB. 2021 | MANOR INK

VOLUME 10, ISSUE 91

IN THIS ISSUE

LOCAL NEWS

Reconciling our differences .......................1, 4, 5

Broadband update .................................7

COVID-19 update ..................................7

Broadacre Farm update ..............................9

Town and school board reports .......................11

FEATURES

The Delaware Company .............................13

LMCS Insider ....................................15

Travelogue: Antigua ................................17

60 Main St. demolition ......................... 18, 19

Inkwell of Happiness ........................... 20, 21

Back Page Profile: Lois Weaver and Peggy Shaw ...........24

SPORTS

Steinhauer on the Super Bowl ........................22

EXTRAS

Inklings Calendar .................................23

The Ink’s back with our first issue of 2021

Welcome back Inklings! It has indeed been a while (a

month) since Manor Ink has released an issue, and I personally

feel like I’ve become too comfy with the lack of urgency

in my work. But, alas, it is a new year, and

this combined January/February edition

will catch you up and inform you about

recent happenings!

Our local media center, the Livingston

Manor Free Library, has yet again received

Osei Helper

Editor-in-chief

a new director to take up the reins. Meet

Stacey Tromblee in a profile on page 8. In

other news, I, along with Associate Editor

IF YOU’RE A student in

grades 7-12 and are interested

in partcipating in

Manor Ink, let us know at

editor@manorink.org.

We meet on Zoom

every Wednesday from

3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

FROM THE EDITOR

TROPICAL TOPICAL This fellow is a bit too exotic for the

Catskills, but he’s right at home on Antigua, as is our reporter

Nadine Osborne. Read more on page 17. Nadine Osborne photo

Demi Budd, hosted a discussion between two Livingston

Manor Central School students

of opposing political

views, examining ways to

reconcile their very different

takes on current events in a

highly politicized America.

Demi’s write-up of their

revealing discussion is our

cover story for this issue.

There are plenty more interesting

reads, such as Nadine Osborne’s back page profile

on a local theater duo’s very captivating final film, a story

that can’t be done justice in a short summary. You will just

have to flip through the pages yourself, won’t you?

These past two months have been quite a ride for all

Americans, and especially for students (ugh, midterms!).

But the Manor Ink staff stayed determined and are now presenting

our first issue of 2021. We hope you enjoy your stay!

SUGGESTIONS

Have an idea for an

article? We’re always

looking for stories. Email

your suggestion to us at

editor@manorink.org.

You can put story ideas

in the Idea Dropbox at

the Livingston Manor

Free Library, now that

the library has reopened.

In the

Aro Tradition

via Zoom

Free one-on-one

Meditation instruction

Call or write:

Naljorma Chatral A’dze

(845) 439-4332

khajong@gmail.com

In the December 2020 issue of

Manor Ink, an article about the social

services program Sullivan Allies

Leading Together neglected to say

that a Cornell Cooperative Extension

Sullivan County initiative called

MANOR INK STAFF

Osei Helper

Editor-in-Chief

Demi Budd,

Edward Lundquist

Associate Editors

Jessica Mall

LMCS School Advisor

Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard

works in partnership with SALT.

Martin Colavito and Beth DiBartolo

are Cornell Cooperative Extension

Sullivan County employees, and Colavito

is also the SALT coalition chair.

David Dann

Art & Photo

Production Editor

Amy Hines

Business Manager, Mentor

Art Steinhauer

Sales Manager, Mentor

Stacey Tromblee

Library Director

Kelly Buchta, Robin

Chavez, Diana Fredenburg,

Marge Feuerstein,

Audrey Garro, Taylor

Jaffe, Les Mattis

Mentors

Aaron Adams-Thomas,

Michelle Adams-Thomas,

Nicole Davis, Zachary

CORRECTION

Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard

is a program of CCE’s Agriculture &

Food Systems, along with the farmers

market efforts called Sullivan Fresh

Market-on-the-Move and Market at

Monticello.

Dertinger, Luca Larizzati,

Michael McKinley,

Nadine Osborne, Tyler

Roberts, Winter Sager,

Jenson Skalda

Manor Ink Reporters

Carolyn Bivins, Peggy

Johansen, Jamie Helper

Founders

Manor Ink, a program of the Livingston Manor Free Library, is published monthly. Reach us at editor@manorink.org.

Our mailing address is Manor Ink, 92 Main St., Livingston Manor, NY 12758. Letters and story suggestions welcome.

Manor Ink is on the air

Hear your favorite Ink reporters share stories from the

latest edition of the paper on WJFF Radio Catskill 90.5 FM

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Teen Edition, featuring 30 minutes of news, interviews and features from

Livingston Manor’s award-winning, youth-driven community newspaper.

Or check us out on the WJFF archive anytime at archive.wjffradio.org.

NEWS

MANOR INK | JAN./FEB. 2021

‘We found the courage

to take the leap to leave

New York City.’

Eleanor Friedman

Co-owner, La Salumina

3

LOCALLY SOURCED To Hurleyville

via Tuscany, La Salumina is an Italian

delicatessen recently opened on

Main Street in the Sullivan County

hamlet. Among the many homemade

products offered in the shop

is fresh Salsiccia, above.

Manor Ink photos, left, below;

lasaluminany.com photo, above

Tastes of Tuscany now available in Sullivan

La Salumina offers shopmade meat specialties

By Manor Ink Staff

Hurleyville, NY – Culinary choices

just got a bit meatier in Sullivan County

with the opening of La Salumina in Hurleyville.

Owned and operated by Eleanor

Friedman and her husband, Gianpiero

Pepe, the store offers salumi and salami,

fresh meats, cheeses, pasta, sauces and

pantry items.

Eleanor and Gianpiero met in Siena,

Italy, where Eleanor was apprenticing as a

butcher and salami maker, and Gianpiero

was running a local restaurant. Following

their marriage, they decided to move to

New York City to be closer to Eleanor’s

family, thinking they might also open an

Italian delicatessen, or “salumeria.”

They planned to stock the shop with

meat products created by using techniques

they had learned in Italy, while pork

would be sourced from pasture-raised pigs

supplied by local farms. A friend told them

about an available shop in Hurleyville, and

the couple was intrigued by the area and

its possibilities.

“We found the courage to take the leap

to leave New York City,” said Friedman

with a laugh. She said they are pleased

with their progress to date, especially having

opened up during the pandemic while

navigating the arduous process of getting

USDA approval to make their own cured

meats. Those products will be their main

business.

La Salumina’s offerings are sure to impress

those experienced in Italian cuisine

as well as those who are curious about

Mediterranean fare. The shop’s sundries

currently include Soppressata Senese,

a Tuscan-style headcheese made with

lemon and garlic; a fennel-garlic-andwine

sausage called Salsiccia; Rillettes, a

spreadable pork confit; and Pâté Rustico.

Other products like Finocchietta and

Mortadella Senese, varieties of salami, are

planned.

La Salumina is located 210 Main Street in

ARTISANAL EATS Eleanor Friedman and Gianpiero Pepe, proprietors of the Main Street “salumeria,”

offer a variety of prepared meats, savories and condiments, pasta, beer and wine, and

other specialty products in their shop, all with an Italian flare.

Hurleyville. The shop is open from Thursday

through Sunday. Local online orders

can be picked up at Upstream Wine & Liquors

on Main Street in Livingston Manor

on Saturday afternoons. For more information,

visit lasaluminany.com.

4 | JAN./FEB. 2021 | MANOR INK NEWS

A dialogue: Agreeing to disagree,

Continued from pg. 1

The paper proposed that students with different

political opinions sit down and discuss the issues to

see if there were places where they could find common

ground. The process of contacting and getting

students on board was difficult, and it took quite a

while. But LMCS sophomores Sienna Dutcher and

Mackenzie Carlson offered to talk to each other about

their opposing views.

As per the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus,

the Ink took this political roundtable to Zoom. Both

students were read a list of ground rules and were

expected to treat each other with respect, and that is

exactly what they did. The exchange between the two

offered an understanding of the other’s ideas, a middle

ground between them, and suggestions for future

reconciliation.

How would you define your political

views?

Dutcher: I would like to start with

how the two-party system is flawed.

We are offered a choice between two

lesser evils. I believe the two-party

system divides the country and blocks

good discussions and debates. That

being said, I identify with the term

liberal/left-leaning, because there are

many ideas I agree with on that side.

Carlson: I consider myself a conservative.

Who or what influenced your political

views?

Dutcher: Growing up in the LGBTQplus

community and as a woman

have definitely influenced my political

opinions. It caused me to look into how

some politicians were advocating and

passing policies against my and others’

well-being.

Carlson: Definitely my dad and his

own family influenced my political

opinions. They’re all big Republicans,

and I grew up surrounded by that.

What are your thoughts on the Black

Lives Matter movement?

Dutcher: I am a firm supporter of the

Black Lives Matter movement. Our

justice system is deeply rooted in white

supremacy, and that needs to change.

Due to the racist values that started this

country, racism can be found in every

part of our government and society.

That’s why people are marching in

the streets and rioting. After years and

years of protesting to no avail, I feel

like all of us would be angry enough to

burn down a building.

The riots were an act of desperation

and grief that I believe we need to

respect. The CEO of Target has more

than enough money to replace a Target.

But the lives of the black people killed

by a racist justice system can never be

replaced. Over the course of American

history, rioting has been one of the only

things that does work. The Stonewall

Riots were a very important event

in gaining gay rights, and even the

founding of America as an independent

nation started by rioting.

Carlson: I think that all lives matter,

but if someone were to say that “white

lives matter,” they would definitely

be considered racist. So I don’t think

that you should put one specific racial

group in front of it all. And I think that

peaceful protesting is fine; I don’t think

looting and rioting should be acceptable,

no matter what the cause is.

Dutcher: Like she said, if a white

person says white lives matter, it would

be seen as racist. But the reason that

the phrase “Black Lives Matter” is so

important is because black lives are

not valued by the government. As seen

in Breonna Taylor’s case, she was shot

in her own home while sleeping. The

police who shot her were only charged

for the bullets that hit the wall of her

neighbor’s house. The justice system

only cares about the wall.

Carlson: But I think that there is

always another side of the story that

the media doesn’t say. In the George

Floyd case, the man was a criminal. He

PEACEFUL PROTEST Livingston Manor’s Black Lives Matter march in June 2020 received

already had charges pressed against

him, so it wasn’t like these officers just

did this out of nowhere.

Dutcher: I don’t feel that warrants

him being killed. I just don’t think the

brutality he faced for an invalid check

holds up to what a white man would

have gone through. If a white man did

that, he wouldn’t even have the police

called on him. Even if he had past

criminal changes, he wouldn’t have

been killed.

What are your thoughts on the Capitol

riots?

Carlson: I don’t think what happened

at the Capitol building was right. Like

I said before, I don’t think rioting and

looting should happen, regardless of

the case. But I think that Democrats are

okay with it until the other side does it,

then it’s a huge deal.

Dutcher: I don’t think that the causes

for looting and rioting should be compared

to the causes for what happened

at the Capitol.

‘I think that there is always

another side of the story that

the media doesn’t say.’

Mackenzie Carlson

Carlson: If Trump got re-elected, and

people were rioting against that at the

Capitol Building – the reverse situation

– then everyone would be fine with it.

Dutcher: I don’t believe the outcome

would have been the same. The two

demographics on each side have such

different positions in society. If the

roles were switched, a lot of different

things would have happened.

What happened at the Capitol was

egregious. The hypocrisy shown that

day would be laughable had it not

been such an awful tragedy. The same

people who raided the Capitol, who

believe that Blue Lives Matter, just

bludgeoned a cop with a fire extinguisher.

It goes to show that, for the

people who infiltrated the Capitol, the

NEWS

MANOR INK | JAN./FEB. 2021 |

5

but with real respect and civility

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS

n Mackenzie Carlson

LMCS, Grade 10

Favorite subjects:

math, English

Extracurriculars: basketball,

softball, Interact Club

Community service: Renaissance

flower-planting

Future: Plans to go to a Division 1 school, play

softball, graduate with a degree in criminal justice

and become a state trooper

n Sienna Dutcher

LMCS, Grade 10

Favorite subjects:

band, English

Extracurriculars:

Student Council

Community service:

Renaissance planting

flowers in town and a town trash pick up

Future: Plans to go to NYU and get a PhD in

plastic surgery

strong support from the community, but there were also more than a few dissenters. File photo

DIALOGUE ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL

THOUGH IT SEEMS like it, it’s not all calumny and

conflict in Washington, DC. There are some members

of Congress who are looking for ways to work

with their counterparts across the aisle in an effort

to move the nation forward.

Beginning in 2017, a number of representatives

from across the country formed an independent

group called the Problem Solvers Caucus. Equally

Blue Lives Matter movement was just

a way to silence the Black Lives Matter

movement.

Carlson: I don’t agree with that. Blue

Lives Matter was a movement for

people to stand up for cops. Nowadays,

everyone presumes all cops are bad because

a few cops did awful things. But I

really don’t think all cops are bad.

Gottheimer

Reed

divided between Democrats and Republicans, the caucus seeks common ground on

many key issues, including health care, prison reform, immigration and infrastructure.

Co-Chaired by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY), the

group’s philosophy is summed up sussinctly on its website: “Only when we work

together as Americans can we successfully break through the gridlock of today’s

politics.” To learn more, visit problemsolverscaucus-gottheimer.house.gov.

Dutcher: I don’t believe that the cops

themselves are bad people. The ACAB

[All Cops are Bastards] movement was

more of a way to show that the system

is flawed. I don’t believe there is such a

thing as a “blue” life; it’s their job that

they choose. Being a black person in

America isn’t something that you can

just choose.

‘I feel that it’s very important

to listen to each other and to

find common things that you

do agree on ...’

Sienna Dutcher

How do you feel about President Trump’s

impeachment?

Dutcher: I’m very glad that Trump

was impeached. Over his four years as

president, he only stood for straight,

rich, white men. I don’t want to live in

an America where I have to constantly

demand that people who don’t fit

into these categories be valued. He’s a

dangerous man capable of mongering a

lot of hate.

Carlson: I do agree some of the things

he says are not the best, but I think he’s

done a lot of good for America. My

parent’s stock market and economy

was great. I don’t think it’s necessarily

smart to impeach him when he only has

a few days left in office, anyway. They

want to impeach him so he can’t run

in 2024, right? If you’re so positive that

he lost this election, then what’s the big

deal? Isn’t he just going to lose the next

one, too?

Dutcher: I don’t believe so. He has

a lot of very supportive followers. As

for your parents, I’m glad that they’re

making a lot of money, but your family

is a white family and white families

benefit by having President Trump in

office. Sure he did a lot of good things

for white privileged families,

including my own, but not for me

individually.

What ideas do you have for how Americans

could agree to disagree without

treating each other like enemies?

Dutcher: As we’ve done in this discussion.

I feel that it’s very important to

listen to each other and to find common

things that you do agree on, instead of

just focusing on what you disagree on.

Not everyone’s going to be persuaded

by what you say.

Carlson: Just respect others’ opinions

and listen to them instead of hating

someone right off the bat because they

think differently.

Thus ended the Ink’s roundtable on today’s political

climate. We’re grateful to Mackenzie Carlson and

Sienna Dutcher for sharing their views with readers

and with each other.

The political landscape will continue to shift as Joe

Biden takes on his first term as president. From here

on out, there is no knowing what will happen next

and how the people will react to Biden’s choices and

how he carries himself as president.

Despite this uncertainty, future voters like our two

participants do wish to come together and no longer

be a nation divided, but a nation reconciled through

respect and on common ground.

6 | JAN./FEB. 2021 | MANOR INK LMFL NEWS

Epiphanies abound when storytellers try non-fiction

Let me be the first to congratulate you.

If you are reading this column you made it

to 2021! You survived the

hard reset that was 2020.

Everything else is a bonus.

I often am pleasantly

surprised to find a nonfiction

book written by

Stacey

Tromblee

an author who we have

known as a fiction or travel

writer. After settling into

a comfortable chair, I soon discover the

author revealing how uncomfortable with

themselves they often are when the idea

for an infamous book first came to them or

when they still must defend a fiction book

they wrote several decades ago. Imagine

defending a book fifty years after it became

LIBRARY

NOTES

a best seller!

This is just one of the

reasons to read My Generation

by William Styron. This book

also will allow – dare I say it – Generation

X readers like myself to create a list of titles

by authors who predate your arrival to our

reading world.

PARTNER SPONSORS

Charter Communications, Inc.

Community Reporting Alliance and the Ottaway Foundation

Lazare and Charlotte Kaplan Foundation

Livingston Manor Central School

Barbara Martinsons • Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation

Sullivan County Youth Services Bureau

ADVOCATES

Apple Pond Farm • CAS Arts Center

Foster Supply Hospitality • Red Cottage/Country House Realty

Rolling V Bus Corp. • Upstream Wine & Spirits

CHAMPIONS

Chatral A’dze • Sue Barnett & Jeff Christensen • Carolyn Bivins

Rose Brown & Lester Mattis • Catskill Abstract Co., Inc.

Catskill Brewery • Catskills Food Hub • David Dann

Dette Flies • Vic Diescher • Carole Edwards Realty

John Fawcett • George Fulton • Linda Hartley & Bruce Cobb

Amy Hines & Dave Forshay • Inside the Blue Line

Marilyn Kocher • Livingston Manor Teachers Assn.

Gina Molinet, RM Farm Real Estate Main Street Farm

Van Morrow, Mountain Bear Craft

Peck’s Markets • Sheila & Terry Shultz • Snowdance Farm

Art Steinhauer • Don & Vinny Simkin

Town of Rockland • Barbara Trelstad • Upward Brewing Co.

Remembering Bud Wertheim (and the Giant Trout)

Manor Ink thrives on community support! Please consider becoming a supporter at one of

the following levels: Partner, $1,000 and above; Advocate, $500; or Champion, $250. We

also welcome and are grateful for contributions of any amount. Manor Ink is a program of

the Livingston Manor Free Library, a nonprofit 501(c)3. Please send your gift or pledge to

Manor Ink, 92 Main St., Livingston Manor, NY 12758. Thank you!

A great reason to read non-fiction by fiction

writers can also be found in Patrimony

by Philip Roth. Of the plethora of books

written by Philip Roth, I

have read only two. I made

the assumption after reading

these two fiction books,

that Mr. Roth had nothing

to offer me as a reader. I

was wrong.

I discovered Patrimony Philip Roth

by chance while I was feeling lucky to

be browsing inside a library during our

limited-access year. The humor and

stick-to-itiveness we see in Roth’s fictional

characters comes straight from his father.

Uncomfortable conversations lead to

epiphanies.

Roth’s father is a widower navigating

life in the same city he grew up in, but

now he is alone. Roth is called upon to

help his gregarious father age-in-place

LMFL BOOK REVIEW

Ship Fever

By Andrea Barrett

WINNER OF THE American

National Book Award

in 1996, Ship Fever by

Andrea Barrett, is a book

of short stories and a

novella. Set in the 18th to late 20th centuries,

the stories interweave fictional

tales and people with scientific facts

and historical figures. Scientists from the

early days in the development of biology

and botany, experimenters like Mendel

and Linneaus, cross paths with fictional

characters who are subject to ambition,

success and failure in careers, in science

and in love.

The author seems particularly interested

in the lot of intellectually curious,

ambitious women who are themselves

intrigued with the natural sciences.

As an animal lover, I was particularly

moved by two of the characters that

were interested in proving – or more

likely disproving – Linneaus’ theory

that swallows do not migrate but go

underwater to hibernate, reemerging in

the spring.

Barrett’s women experiment by catching

swallows in nets, confining them

and then submerging them in a tub of

water. After leaving them over night,

the ladies retrieve the birds to see if they

had hibernated and were alive. No surprise

to the reader, the poor birds were

and it is a bumpy ride. As Roth rearranges

his life to spend time with his working

class father, he finally begins to understand

and appreciate the man he thought

he knew.

These famous authors share their epiphanies

with the reader and we see many uncomfortable

conversations unfold in these

non-fiction works. It’s bigger than they are,

and is that not the takeaway of 2020? I am

finding myself incredibly thankful to start

2021 and have a library to browse. Come

join in the discovery of what is bigger

than us. The joy of the library is found in

the serendipitous discovery of a book we

didn’t even know existed. The book you

missed in 2020 is available at the library.

See you there!

Stacey Tromblee is the director of the

Livingston Manor Free Library. Reach her at

livcirc@rcls.org.

dead, having

drowned.

Reaction to

the book was

very mixed

among the

members

of the book

club. Some

really loved

it, while

others went

from mildly

interested

to not at all.

The narratives

are, after

all, mostly

short stories,

a form which is not favored by many

readers. Moreover, those without some

background in the natural sciences and

a knowledge of the early contributors

to their development may be put off by

the amount of scientific detail in some

of the stories.

There is, however, no question that

many people, since the publication of

Ship Fever, have loved the book. So

caveat emptor!

Marge Feuerstein

SCIENCE FICTION Author

Andrea Barrett weaves

facts into her novels.

andrea-barrett.com photo

If you are interested in reading this

book, it is available at the library. To

reserve a copy, call 439-5440.

SERVICE TO COME Testing of a pilot tower

in Monticello has been completed. County

officials hope to add an additional 12 towers,

bringing high-speed Internet to underserved

areas in Sullivan, by 2022. Provided photo

NEWS MANOR INK | JAN./FEB. 2021 | 7

Countywide broadband on the way

By Winter Sager | Manor Ink

Monticello, NY – April showers may

bring May flowers, but this spring will also

bring a new broadband service to Sullivan

County.

As previewed in the July 2020 edition of

Manor Ink, the county has embarked on an

innovative project to bring 5G wireless Internet

access to unserved areas of Sullivan.

Manor Ink recently talked with Dan Hust,

director of communications for the county,

and Lorne Green, its chief technology officer,

about the progress of the project.

Hust said the project was going well and

was now out of the testing phase. “The initial

tower that the county founded as the pilot

project, in Monticello by the new jail facility,

is well under way.” “Antennas were

mounted on the tower the first week of December,”

Green elaborated. “An equipment

enclosure has been installed, with some

preliminary monitoring and management

equipment installed in that enclosure.”

Double-masking now advised

Monticello tower testing now completed

ACTIVE COVID CASES

The rise, fall and rise again over the past

ten months in the number of Sullivan

County residents with the coronavirus.

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN

sullivanny.us

Monticello, NY – With new, more virulent

strains of the COVID-19 virus now

appearing around the country, President

Biden’s chief medical advisor, Dr. Anthony

Fauci, has recommended wearing two

masks when in public places.

“If you have a physical covering with

one layer, you put another layer on, it just

makes common sense that it likely would

be more effective,” Fauci said recently on

NBC’s “Today” show.

In local coronavirus news, Sullivan

County Public Health administered 200

doses of the Moderna vaccine to essential

workers beginning Thursday, Jan. 21, and

has been holding vaccination clinics with

an additional 600 doses for individuals age

65 and older.

To meet numerous public requests to

be notified of upcoming vaccination clinics,

Public Health has launched an online

signup form open to local and regional residents.

Those who sign up will be contacted

with information about an upcoming vaccination

clinic, for which they will have to

separately register in order to get on a list to

receive the vaccine. The form can be found

online at sullivanny.us/Departments/Publichealth/COVIDvaccines.

Since October, virus cases have been on

the rise in Sullivan, with the villages of

Monticello, Liberty and Wurtsboro seeing

150 or more infections, the most in the

county, while the Town of Rockland has

had between 100 and 150 cases. As of Jan.

28, the county was reporting 258 COVID

infections, down from a high of 353 on Jan.

14, but still much higher than the low of 31

active cases on Oct. 15 of last year.

The Sullivan County Broadband LDC,

short for Local Development Corporation,

is in charge of implementing broadband

service across the county. Green said the

county hopes to be in a position by late

March for the LDC to begin providing

wireless Internet service if they choose.

After that, there are another 12 towers

that the county hopes to bring on line.

According to Green, the second and third

towers have already been approved for

grant funding. The county is waiting on

the paperwork, but the towers’ design

and construction will start soon after that

is complete. Another 10 broadband towers

are still waiting to be approved for $2.075

million in grant funding. One of those towers

will be located at Tennenah Lake and its

signal should be able to reach areas in and

around Livingston Manor.

“Once money has been received, the plan

is to start ordering equipment and getting

engineering studies done and just start moving

forward,” Green said. “It will likely be

HIGH MASS

late 2021 or early 2022, before all of that is

installed, configured, and up and available.”

The broadband Internet provided by

these towers will be available to the public

and will also provide service to the county

for its own needs. As towers are being

brought online, the LDC and Broadband

Initiative will begin providing subscriptions

for those locations. Beginning in April

or May, the county hopes to start these subscriptions

in Monticello.

The LDC will set a price for Internet service

that will hopefully connect people who

Spectrum or Verizon cannot reach. Hust expects

that the LDC will have pricing that

will be at or below what these other providers

charge.

Service from the 13 towers in the project

should begin taking shape in the next 12 to

18 months and will hopefully cover about

65 percent of the county’s population. Revenues

from subscriptions will be used to

fund expansion towers. “The ultimate goal

and objective is obviously 100 percent coverage,”

Green said. “But we have anticipated

coverage expectations of 80 percent by

the end of 2023.”

RAISING THE ROOF On Jan. 5, a crew from Home Pro Exterior, looking like the gargoyles

of Notre Dame, began work to replace the roof of St. Aloysius Church on Church Street in

Livingston Manor. Peggy Johansen photo

Rockland seeks applicants for town positions

The Town of Rockland is seeking quality

applicants to fill vacant positions on

the town’s Planning and Zoning Boards.

These are unpaid, volunteer positions.

Those applying must be able to attend

regular meetings, either in person or

online. Interested persons should contact

Supervisor Rob Eggleton at supervisor@

townofrocklandny.com to apply or for

additional information.


Many thanks to our

2021 supporters

A special thank you from the staff and

mentors of Manor Ink to our new sponsors

and advertisers, and to those who renewed

their support at year’s end:

n New and renewing sponsors

Foster Supply Hospitality • Jennifer

Grimes, Red Cottage • Marc & Susan Jaffe

• Bruce Pollock, Inside the Blue Line

• Gina Molinet, RM Farm Real Estate

• Marilyn Kocher, Swiss Rose Cottage

• Town of Rockland • Catskill Abstract Co.

• Dette Flies • Barbara Trelstad • Mary Mott

Hall • Linda Hartley and Bruce Cobb

n Renewing advertisers

Carole Edwards Real Estate • Dana

DiParma, The Farm Girl • Roger Broome,

Architect • Pepacton Natural Foods • Right

Foot Yoga • Catskill Food Hub • WJFF

Radio Catskill • Beth’s Headquarters

• Duke Pottery • Abandoned Cider • La

Salumina; MaryAnne Lombardo, D.C. •

Morgan Outdoors • Mountaintop Landscaping

• Justine’s Just Breath Yoga

• Somewhere in Time Farm • Willow &

Brown

And to our many other sponsors, advertisers,

subscribers and supporters who

renew or contribute at other times during

the year, and to so many in the community

who contributed to the Livingston Manor

Free Library’s 2020 annual appeal for the

benefit of Manor Ink, thank you all!

Library welcomes new director

By Manor Ink staff

Livingston Manor, NY – “I love small

libraries and am so glad to be here,” said

Stacey Tromblee.

Tromblee began serving as Livingston

Manor Free Library’s new director on

Nov. 30. “The Library Board of Trustees is

thrilled that Stacey accepted the position,”

said Amy Hines, the Library’s incoming

Board President. She added, “We had a lot

of interest in the library director position,

but it was exciting for the board to select

someone with Stacey’s experience, combined

with her sense of humor and engaging

personality.”

Tromblee drives to Livingston Manor

each day from Delhi, where she and her

husband raised their two children and

where she continues to live. She doesn’t

mind the 45-minute commute. In fact, her

previous job required her to drive several

hours to Gouverneur, NY, in the Adirondacks

and commute on weekends.

“As an undergraduate, I worked in the

SCVA’s annual ‘Guide’ for visitors now available

Liberty, NY – The Sullivan

Catskills Visitors Association has

announced that its new 2021 “Travel

Guide” has been published and

ready for immediate distribution.

The “Travel Guide” aligns with

Rockwell Kent archives, at Plattsburgh

State, where I majored in history,” said

Tromblee. “And I also worked in the special

collections section of the library at

SUNY Plattsburgh. At both of those jobs

you’re handling cemetery records, and

you’re finding information for people.

So it was an apt precursor to the library

world. And it made me realize, ‘Hey, I really

enjoy doing this. And I’d like to do

more of it.’

“I earned my Masters Degree in Library

Science at North Carolina Central University,

in Durham, NC. It’s a historically black

college. I concentrated in ‘specialty records’

and ‘archives.’ After graduate school, I apprenticed

at the Duke Medical Center archives

at Duke University.”

Since completing graduate studies,

Tromblee has worked at several other

public libraries. They include Isley Public

Library in Middlebury, VT; Cannon Free

Library in Delhi; and Reading Room Association

of Gouverneur, in Gouverneur.

The Manor’s new LMFL director looks

ENGAGING Stacey Tromblee, the LMFL’s new

director, brings a wealth of library experience

to the job. Jenson Skalda photo

forward to meeting the library’s patrons.

She urges people of all ages to visit. “Come

on in and see if you can challenge us! Find

out if we can find a book that you want to

read. If we don’t have it here, we can get it

for you from another library.”

SCVA website which is designed to

make it easier to find information on

attractions, lodging, restaurants and

events. In addition to the featured

guide, the SCVA has niche Trail

Brochures, which are updated annually,

for those who desire specialized

experiences. They include the

Dove Trail, Craft Beverages, Arts &

Culture, Antiques and Pottery. To

obtain a “Travel Guide,” visit sullivancatskills.com

or call 747-4449.

The Kaatskeller | 39 Main St., Livingston Manor | 845-439-4339

Promote and Protect The Catskills • Join Mountainkeeper Today.

catskillmountainkeeper.org

NEWS

MANOR INK | JAN./FEB. 2021 |

9

Developers offer two new

plans for Hoag Rd. site

Livingston Manor, NY – At the Town of

Rockland Planning Board meeting of Dec.

2, held on Zoom, Stefan Martinovic, one of

two developers of Broadacre Farm, a proposed

housing development, presented the

board with modified plans for the project.

Located at the end of Hoag Road northwest

of the hamlet’s center, the 117-acre

‘Using conservation

zoning

to preserve

open space,

these homes

will be built for

livability and

sustainability.’

Stefan Martinovic

Broadacre Farm

project has undergone

modifications since it

was initially conceived

last August. Martinovic

said he and his

co-developer Joseph

Satto and their design

team have spent the

last six months reviewing

and updating

detailed proposals for

the development.

Martinovic showed

the board two different

plans. One, a more

conventional layout,

had 50 housing units, each on a two-acre

lot, with only 10 percent of the land open

space. The homes would be single-family

dwellings with two to four bedrooms, built

by the developers and then sold to individual

buyers.

The second plan, a “conservation” subdivision,

would consist of a 46-lot housing

development with lots averaging a half acre

and occupying 18 percent of the property,

while 72 percent of the land would remain

open space.

Martinovic said the developers hope to tie

into the hamlet’s municipal lines for water

and sewer service. Sewage from the development

would be drained by gravity, while

water would likely have to be pumped up

to the development from the end of the line

near the hamlet’s storage tank.

“Using conservation zoning to preserve

open space, these homes will be built for

livability and sustainability,” Martinovic

said. He stressed that those qualities would

bring long-term value to the community

and would expand the town’s tax base.

Manor residents whose properties border

on the Broadacre Farm site, many of whom

live on High Street, have expressed concern

about the already heavy runoff from rainwater

and snow melt on the mountainside

that floods basements and ruts roads. With

additional housing on the hillside, the fear

is that the water flow will increase, thus

exacerbating the problem. But Martinovic

said the new plans address that issue.

“Because the housing footprint would be

Broadacre Farm

The revised “conservation” plan for the proposed development on Hoag Road in Livingston Manor

includes open space, pastures, orchards, hiking trails – and 46 housing units.

KEY

A: Creek

B: Meadow

C: Grazing land

D: Orchard

E: Trail network

F: Garden and

gathering space

N

E

D

B

A

D

F

C

C

C

Livingston Manor

broadacrefarm.org map

small – no basements or garages – runoff

would be limited,” he said.

The project’s engineer, Patrick Hines,

from McGoey Hauser & Edsall Consulting

Engineers of New Windsor, NY, submitted

a preliminary review of the project to

the board. It included descriptions of the

roads to, from and within the project; a

homeowners association agreement; areas

requiring tree removal; the types of animals

to be kept on the farm; the ownership

of open areas and wetlands; an application

for a conservation easement; and other aspects

of the development.

Board member James Severing requested

that the developers provide the board with

a detailed map showing the property’s

slope grades, wetlands, forest and pasture

lands, as well as the proposed building lots.

A comprehensive site plan will be required

to complete the project review, as well as a

full environmental assessment.

Martinovic said the Broadacre Farm team

will work closely with Code Enforcement

Officer Patrick Hines to address each of

these requirements.

51 Main St., Livingston Manor • 6 am-10 pm

845-439-5430

Photo by

Osei Helper


MARCH 2019 | MANORINK.ORG

WORKING FOR US

A conversation with

Assemblywoman Gunther

PAGE 5

TOWN MEETING

Anthony Delgado seeks

input from Rockland voters

PAGE 3

BACK ONLINE

Computer network now

restored for LMCS students

PAGE 8

MI

FREE

MANOR INK

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

BATTERY POWER

Electric cars now

IN THIS ISSUE

have charging

stations in Roscoe

PAGE 3

WEATHER-PROOF

Public pantry

doors get a needed

seasonal upgrade

PAGE 8

FREE

By Osei Helper| Manor Ink

Take a momen to close your eyes. Imagine

it’s some 60 years ago and you’re in

Livingston Manor during the boom years

of the hotel business, as we l as during an

era when automobiles came through our

Sullivan County’s youth-driven, community-supported nonprofit newspaper

MAKING A CASE Firelight Camps co-founder Robert Frisch presents the company’s plan for a 100-tent “glampground” – a glamorous

campground – to be located on Little Ireland Road in Livingston Manor. He did so a the Town of Rockland’s Planning Board meeting on

Feb. 5, before a capacity crowd of concerned citizens. Photo by Les Ma tis

Campsite or canvas hotel?

‘Glampground’ remains controversial

By Emily Ba l | Manor Ink

MI

MANOR INK

Livingston Manor, NY – On Tuesday,

Feb. 5, members of the Livingston Manor

community came to the Town Ha l in the

hamlet ready to state their concerns about

the proposed Firelight campsite project

to the Planning Board. Even before the

meeting began, the room was fi led to capacity.

Firelight Campgrounds is a “glamp-

town regularly with travelers and co lege

students and their parents on the way to

schools in upstate New York, a time when

many people were visiting for business and

recreational reasons so hotels were very

popular a the time. Interesting as that may

be, it’s not wha this story is about. No, this

SAFE HAVEN

ground” that Firelight Camps wants to

open in Livingston Manor on Little Ireland

Road. Firelight is origina ly from

Ithaca, NY, where they have one such

camping facility. They propose a bigger

site here in Livingston Manor with 100

tents, but some community members

have concerns with the plan.

Some classify the “glamorous camping”

approach not as camping at a l, but

as accommodations more closely resem-

Extensive rennovations required for Willowemoc to reopen

story is about motels. More specifica ly, it’s

about the history of the Wi lowemoc Motel,

no too far from downtown Livingston

Manor.

Now, for those of you who don’t know

what a motel is, it’s kind of like a hotel but

designed for a short stay. So, consider the

MANORINK.ORG

Manor family lives grid-free PAGE 5

Sullivan County’s youth-driven, community-supported nonprofit newspaper

LONG EMPTY

The Wi lowemoc

Motel at Exit 96 on

Rte. 17 was built

in the early 1960s,

fo lowing completion

of the Quickway.

The Livingston

Manor landmark

fe l on hard times

in the 1990s as

tourism declined

and repeated

floods caused

water damage and

mold growth in

many of its rooms.

The motel’s current

owner has received

several o fers for

its purchase, but no

deal has yet been

finalized.

bling those provided by conventional

hotels. “Firelight is classifying itself as a

campsite for the sole purpose of building

in an area where campsites are given

a special use waiver, but hotels, motels

and inns are genera ly prohibited,” stated

Nan Gough, a resident on Little Ireland

Road.

Others fear the impact of increased water

usage might lower the water table and

impact neighboring we ls. Local resident

Douglas Lee expressed concerns about

how sewage from the site might affec the

water quality in the stream that Page 7

Fate of local motel still uncertain

situation: you’re on a long road trip and

you’re getting tired. A motel would be a

perfect place to stop and rest for the night,

and the Wi lowemoc Motel was pretty popular

and successful. It was erected right at

the entry to Livingston Manor, taking fu l

advantage of its location. We l, if that’s

so, then why is it now run down? That is

what I wi l answer, along with some details

about its current state and what its Page 6

Did you know you can get Manor Ink

delivered to your mailbox? Request

a subscription by sending a check to

made out to Manor Ink for $30 to:

Manor Ink Subscriptions

92 Main Street

Livingston Manor, NY 12758

Renaissance holds forum

By Manor Ink staff

Liberty, NY – Sullivan Renaissance jumpstarted

its year with an online winter symposium

called “Get Ready to Renaissance,”

attended by over 200 registrants. Executive

Director Denise Frangipane reviewed

past awards and initiatives. “The ability to

make change here is right at our fingertips,”

she said. “Despite the challenges around

the world, we have a role to play, starting

at home in our own communities with our

neighbors and with our own children.”

Keynote speaker Sims Foster, co-founder

of Foster Supply Hospitality, reviewed his

family’s history in Sullivan County and

the commitment to community that was

instilled in him that he described as “We

before I.” His grandfather was a bellhop at

Grossinger’s and the Waldemere, and also

ran a bungalow colony. His parents were

NEXT UP, A WORKSHOP

Sullivan Renaissance will hold a

grant workshop on Wednesday, Feb.

3, at 6 p.m., via Zoom. Community

organizations, churches, schools and

businesses interested in beautifying

their community are invited to attend.

Pre-registration for this free event is requested

at SullivanRenaissance.org

or by calling the office at 295-2445.

among the first persons to become Renaissance

volunteers in Livingston Manor, and

his mother, Diane, continues to participate.

Foster said he was taught big projects take

the path of “sleep, creep and leap,” and that

Sullivan Renaissance’s work in the 20 years

of its existence has followed this progression

with great results in all our communities.

Foster praised the core values of Sullivan

Renaissance, namely healthy competition

for good, tangible improvements, capital investment

and significant volunteer engagement.

He admitted to being “a lucky one,”

growing up in a strong and loving family

where he was taught to “set a goal and work

for it” but to always be kind and empathetic

and “put our neighbors ahead of ourselves.”

“We are still a poor county, with one of the

lowest health rankings in the state,” he said,

“so we must attend to the poor corners of

our community, notwithstanding the success

in many areas.”

Frangipane and staff reviewed the history

and accomplishments of Sullivan Renaissance.

Over the years, it has issued over $5

million in grants, which has been leveraged

into over $13 million in community improvements.

Town of Fallsburg Supervisor Steve

Vegliante was also a featured speaker, as

Fallsburg received last year’s Renaissance

“Golden Feather” Award of $100,000 to be

used to join the Mountaindale/Woodridge

and Fallsburg/Hurleyville rail trails into a

TEAM EFFORT Volunteer Natalee Herling was

one of many workers who helped beautify Sullivan

County for Sullivan Renaissance in 2020.

Provided photo

continuous 13-miles-long trail. Vegliante

said this is the most exciting project undertaken

during his term as supervisor. The

award, plus state grants obtained by former

state Sen. Jen Metzger and Assemblywoman

Aileen Gunther, will enable the work to

overcome a number of challenges, including

crossing the Neversink River. Vegliante expects

the project to be completed by the end

of this year.

In 2021, Sullivan Renaissance will once

again be looking for exciting applications for

its annual awards and will be seeking applicants

for its summer interns program.

Ice Carnival iced out for 2021

Livingston Manor, NY – The annual Ice Carnival, a

winter event held every year in Livingston Manor by the

hamlet’s Rotary Club, has been cancelled for this year.

A day-long festival featuring professional and amateur

ice skating performances, skating races, a snow sculpture

contest, sleigh rides, games, food and plenty of fun, the

Carnival has taken place nearly every January or February

since 1959. Last year, however, warmer weather prevented

the creation of suitable skating ice on the rink at Rotary

Park, and Rotary officials replaced the the traditional event

with a Family Fun Day. Scores of adults and children enjoyed

games and food as well as horse-and-wagon rides up

and down Pleasant Street, but there was no ice skating.

This year, however, the weather was not an issue. Instead,

the concern was the health of the participants. The

current coronavirus pandemic poses too much of a risk,

and with cases on the rise in Sullivan County, Tom Babich,

the park’s co-commissioner, said Rotary had decided to

cancel the Carnival altogether.

“Hopefully next year the pandemic will be behind us and

the Carnival will be back on the ice once again,” he said.

TOWN & SCHOOL BOARD UPDATES

MANOR INK | JAN./FEB. 2021 | 11

Property tax exemptions OK’d for seniors, disabled

By Marge Feuerstein | Manor Ink Mentor

TOWN BOARD MEETING OF JAN. 7

Minutes: The minutes of the previous

meeting were unanimously approved.

Supervisor Rob Eggleton offered a thank

you to all the long time employees of the

Town of Rockland who retired during the

past year, and who were not able to be

acknowledged in a larger way.

Correspondence: Sullivan County now

has a website about the COVID-19 vaccine.

A Cooper & Arias memo will come to the

board on Monday.

Sims Foster will be one of the speakers at

the virtual Sullivan Renaissance G2R Summit,

to be held Jan. 13, at 6 p.m. Attendees

must pre-register.

Old Business

The condemned building at 60 Main St.

is down. Finishing up will continue.

The town’s Emergency Plan needs to

be updated. Red Cross currently serves

Sullivan out of Binghamton. A request to

switch it to Monticello will be sent.

New Business

The following resolutions were required

and passed by the board:

n Hire Valerie Rittendale as Deputy

Court Clerk

n Accept accrued sick time for Sue Carlson

and Cindy Theadore

n Hire Chena Colton as a crossing guard

n Accept the 2021 reorganizational

schedule, noting the adjusted salaries,

vacancies, new positions and reappointments.

Andrew McRell was appointed as

Deputy Supervisor, and Jamie Parsons was

appointed as Deputy Highway Superintendent

at a time-and-a-half pay rate. Included

was a budget modification for building

HAZARD

NO MORE

The condemned

building at 60

Main Street has

been completely

removed,

leaving space

for a planned

parking lot.

See photos of

the structure’s

removal on

pgs. 18 and 19.

Manor Ink

photo

demolition.

n Modify the General Fund entries in the

2020 Budget that require modifications.

n Allow the Town of Rockland assessor

to grant real property tax exemptions

to persons with disabilities and limited

incomes and to senior citizens on the 2021

assessment roll, pursuant to Gov. Cuomo’s

executive order 202.83, to take effect immediately

and expire on May 1.

n Accept the appointment of Marinella

DiVita as Deputy Town Clerk

n Authorize the transfer of funds in the

amount of $77,000 in the highway fund.

n Change the expenditures on water and

sewers to 60 percent for Livingston Manor

and 40 percent for Roscoe.

n Modify the Livingston Manor sewer

and water funds entries.

n Modify the Roscoe sewer and water

funds entries.

n Allow the Highway Department to

apply for a permit to install a hydrant for

Livingston Manor Central School.

Department Heads: Ted Hartling: The

LMFD asked the Highway Dept. to apply

for a permit to install a hydrant by the

school.

Approval of Bills: The bills on Abstract

#1 of 2021 were approved.

Details of all dollar amounts can be

found on the town website at townofrfocklandny.com

under the minutes of Jan 7.

TOWN BOARD MEETING OF JANUARY 21

The board heard a presentation from

the county on what may or may not be

allowed regarding food trucks, and what

the town may do about permits and limitations

on the kinds of trucks allowed – permanent

or moveable, etc.

Minutes: A resolution was required to

make a correction to the reorganizational

schedule regarding the town clerk’s salary.

Resolution #15 was passed to approve the

correction. The minutes were then approved.

Correspondence: The Catskill Art Society

announced that Lori Nelson, a local

artist, will be at the Laundry King on Saturdays.

A Dog Control Inspection Report

was received, as was a letter regarding the

Transfer Station. A sewer user wrote to

challenge his quarterly charge. Information

on COVID-19 vaccination clinics was

also received.

Old Business

The removal of the condemned building

at 60 Main Street has been completed. Reports

and final bill adjustment concerning

rip-rap have been submitted.

New Business

The following resolutions were required

and passed by the Board:

n Place a notice in Sullivan County Democrat

and on the town website of all future

board Zoom meeting links.

n Post a list of tentative roads for 2021

repair by Highway Dept.

n Change the Insurance Buy-Back

amount from $1,500 to $1,750.

n Appoint Glenn Gabbard as a delegate

to the Association of Towns 2021.

n Waive impound fees for dog control

n Waive continuing education for the

Planning and Zoning Boards for 2020

Department Heads: Ted Hartling, Highway

Superintendent: The state requires

signed agreements before any work can

start on roads; need to register oil tanks

with the DEC, as ten tanks are outdated

and should be declared surplus and new

ones put out to bid.

Resolution required: Old oil tanks were

declared surplus and replacements will be

put out to bid.

Approval of Bills: Bills on Abstract #2

were unanimously approved.

Details of all dollar amounts can be

found on the town website at townofrocklandny.com

under the minutes of Jan. 21.

After school activities have resumed, but with virus precautions

By Marge Feuerstein | Manor Ink Mentor

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING OF JAN. 20

Superintendent’s Update

COVID-19 Vaccine: Supt. John Evans

has been working with Dr. Robert Dufour

at SC BOCES to make vaccines available

to school personnel. The vaccines are

expected to be distributed beginning the

week of Jan. 25 through Sullivan County

Public Health.

School Activities: LMCS has resumed

non-sports-related after school activities.

All activities are run within COVID-19

protocols. They are open to all students

and include cooking, art, scrapbooking,

games and weight room. Staff members

are running them on a voluntary basis.

Unfortunately very few students are participating

thus far.

Tax Cap 2021-22: The tax cap for schools

was set for the 2021-22 budget year at 1.23

percent This is the lowest percentage since

2016-17. State aid will depend on federal

stimulus money, and more information is

expected to be available for the next board

meeting.

Donated Masks from Rotary: The

Livingston Manor, Liberty and Monticello

Rotary Clubs have donated 200 adult

disposable masks to LMCS as part of the

Rotary District Million Mask Challenge.

Their support is greatly appreciated.

Action Items: The following items were

voted on and unanimously passed.

n Minutes of the previous meeting, treasurer’s

reports, revenue status and budget

appropriation reports.

n Warrants, CSE-CPSE and Section 504

recommendations.

n Asset disposal.

n NYSSBA Advocacy Liaison appointment

of James Buck.

The consent Agenda was approved as

presented.

All dollar amounts and action items can

be found at lmcs.k12.ny.us on the Board of

Education page under minutes of Jan. 20.


TREE-MENDOUS

BILL DRILL A pileated woodpecker

searchers for carpenter ants in the

trunk of a dead maple in White Sulphur

Springs. The impressive bird, a female

by its markings, was about the size of

an adult crow, and it hammered that

large cavity in the side of the tree over

the course of about an hour. Having

dined on insects, it flew off, leaving a

large pile of sawdust and chips at the

base of the tree. Manor Ink photo

LDC submits 3 Sunset Lake firms

Monticello, NY – In mid-January, the

Sunset Lake Local Development Corporation

Board sent the Sullivan County

Legislature a list of three recommended

companies to operate the Care Center at

Sunset Lake, formerly the Sullivan County

Adult Care Center, and the Certified Home

Health Agency, both based in Liberty.

By unanimous vote on Jan. 11, the fivemember

LDC Board recommended the following

three firms:

n Infinite Care Management, headquartered

in Brooklyn and operator of 18 nursing

facilities in New York State and Florida

n VestraCare/The McGuire Group/Absolut,

headquartered in Buffalo and operator

of 19 nursing facilities in New York and

Michigan

n The Grand Healthcare System, headquartered

in Valley Stream and operator of

17 nursing facilities in New York

“The LDC has undertaken the appropriate

due diligence in reviewing the six responses

received to our request for proposals, researching

the backgrounds of the applicants

and the care provided by their facilities, and

meeting personally with the four finalists to

question them directly, ultimately selecting

three firms for the Legislature to interview,”

Board Chairman Lowell Feldman noted.

The LDC will continue to vet the operations

of these companies via personal visits

in the weeks to come, and the Legislature

will be scheduling public presentations

from all three in the near future. Once the

Legislature chooses an operator, the LDC

will enter into contract negotiations with

the chosen firm, thus allowing the Care

Center and CHHA to remain in operation.

A recent federal government survey,

however, indicated that the quality of resident

care at the county’s nursing home has

decreased from the previous reporting period,

down from two-and-a-half stars two.

MAIN

STREET

FARM

MARKET

CAFE

OPEN

DAILY

Mountain Top Landscaping

• Excavation

• Drainage Systems

• Land Clearing

• Retaining Walls

• Stone Work

• Tree & Shrub Planting

• Hydroseeding

Jacob Hathaway

Phone: 845-807-6484

Fully Insured

TDC project hopes to

preserve D&H history

By Edward Lundquist | Manor Ink

There is something surprisingly thematic,

a sort of energy, that surrounds foundations

and other old stone creations. For

example, the Delaware and Hudson Canal.

Stone walls, green algae and pond weeds

at the bottom, sycamores hanging overhead.

Then, in winter, the canal becomes a

different creature. Covered in a blanket of

snow, a beautiful and bizarre shape in the

earth. There is an energy to old things that

cannot be replaced, and that is why they

have to be preserved.

The D&H Canal is one of those things

that means a lot in terms of the history of

our area, yet only a few today remember

and recognize its importance. One of those

people is John Conway, the Sullivan County

historian, who, along with his wife Debra,

is trying to preserve the history of the canal.

A series of locks and dams

Originally created to transport anthracite

coal and bluestone, both common

in the area, the canal’s construction was

started on July 13, 1826. It spanned 108

miles, with 108 locks and 26 dams, basins

ABOUT TDC

The Delaware Company was originally

formed in 2012 to help support

Fort Delaware in Narrowsburg. Over

time, TDC has established a broader

mission to foster appreciation of other

historical sites of the Upper Delaware

including the Minisink Battleground,

Roebling Bridge and the D&H Canal.

The name came from the original

Delaware Company, a group of settlers

who came from Connecticut in

the mid-1700s and settled along the

Delaware River.

The Kate Project is TDC’s newest

focus. It tells the story of the children

who worked along the D&H Canal.

Fundraising for the project’s first two

phases is substantially completed, but

Phase 3 – construction of the hoggee

statue – will be a major undertaking

at a cost of $100,000 or more, with

funding coming in part from donations.

To learn more about contributing,

visit facebook.com/TheDelCo.

and reservoirs. Once the canal was created,

transporting materials in the region

became much easier.

Why not just use the Hudson and

Delaware rivers, you may ask? Because

those rivers were dangerous to travel on,

not only because of unpredictable waters,

but also because of massive logging floats,

huge long stretches of lumber sent floating

down the river to be processed. There

were, at points in the canal, areas called

slackwater dams, where boats had to cross

over one of four rivers – the Delaware,

Lackawaxen, Rondout and Neversink – to

the canal on the other side. Those could

end up being very dangerous, and accidents

occurred often, leading to the creation

of aqueducts over the river to carry

the boats instead.

Locks were frequent points along the

canals, chambers that raised or lowered

the barges to different levels in the stretch

of water. Closed off by two doors with

sluice gates in them, they used natural

water pressure to fill up or empty out the

chamber, raising the boat, and then opening

up the door. They were probably the

best-kept sections of the canals, and were

often made from stone while the rest of the

canal was more like a stagnant water ditch.

Completion of the Erie Railroad was

what killed the D&H Canal. After the creation

of the railroad, which could transport

materials far more efficiently and directly,

canals became relics. The D&H Canal

company dropped the canal entirely, even

from their name, and focused entirely on

the railroad. Once the canal was gone, its

waterways were filled in, or stretches of

them were turned into public parks.

Canal preservation

The Delaware Company, a non-profit established

by the Conways and others, has

been instrumental in the idea that these

sites should be protected, repaired, and

celebrated. Their latest endeavor, dubbed

“The Kate Project,” will serve to commemorate

the lives of the canal’s “hoggees.”

Hoggees were people who led the

mules which pulled the boats through the

canal waters. Due to the narrowness of the

waterways, boats and barges had little-tono

control over their movements, leading

to the requirements of these carriers. The

term “hoggees” is thought to derive from

FEATURES


CHILDREN

AT WORK

A young girl

“hoggee”leads

a team of

mules along the

towpath beside

a stretch of the

D&H Canal as

they pull a barge

laden with coal or

ore, in a painting

by genre artist

Edward Lamson

Henry from 1891.

wikimedia.org photo

the instructions given horses or mules:

“haw” for right, and “gee” for left.

Most hoggees were teens or younger

children who had to lead the mules as

many as 18 hours each day. While some

were children of boat owners, others were

orphaned or abandoned children pressed

into this difficult work. “It was said that if

a mule and his hoggee were to fall into the

canal at the same time, people would save

the mule first,” said Conway.

Hoggees are one of the most commonly

used visual representations for the D&H

Canal. There are paintings of them, sculptures,

drawings, and even some books.

To honor these children, The Delaware

Company is in the process of commissioning

a statue of a young girl hoggee

that will be part of a new half-mile trail

connecting the eagle viewing spot along

the Delaware River with the remnants of

the towpath leading to the Roebling Bridge

in Barryville. The new path will also have

bluestone benches and informational panels

so that visitors can know the story of

the D&H Canal and, in Conway’s words,

“contemplate both the beauty of the river

and the life of these children.”

14 | JAN./FEB. 2021 | MANOR INK FEATURES

Board celebrates LMFL’s retiring ‘guide’

By Manor Ink Staff

“We are pleased and honored to recognize

Vera Farrell for 50 years of service

as President of Livingston Manor Free

Library,” announced Jan Carlson, retiring

library trustee. Carlson chaired a board

task force that had developed several

plans for celebratory events to take place

during 2020. “We had arranged for Vera

to be recognized at various events and

had planned a community party to take

place at Upward Brewing,” she explained.

“But everything had to be canceled due to

COVID-19 restrictions.”

Carlson presented Ms. Farrell with a

framed photograph of students playing

flutes on the library steps and an accompanying

tribute from the full board. “Did you

know I played flute?” Farrell responded

with a smile behind her COVID mask.

The library’s annual meeting took place

via Zoom on Jan. 25, at which time Farrell

formally passed the baton to her successor

Amy Hines, who read into the minutes the

following tribute for her 50 years of service

as president, from the full board:

“President, colleague, trustee, teacher,

coach and friend, you have graced our

library with your wisdom and humor,

compassion and common sense, vision

and joie de vivre. With clear thinking and

a light hand, you have fostered a spirit of

commitment that will sustain the library

A HALF CENTURY OF SERVICE Livingston Manor Free Library’s retiring Board President Vera

Farrell accepts a commemorative tribute from Trustee Jan Carlson. Amy Hines photo

for years to come. With determination and

acumen, you have led the library and kept

it focused in ever-changing times on its vision

to promote an enriched and informed

community.

“Your thorough knowledge of the art

and science of running libraries, drawn

from your education and experience as

a professional librarian and from your

mother, who was our founder, and your

dedication to a bright future for the library

– all given voice and substance over fifty

years of service – have established standards

by which our library will always

measure its success. Thank you for all you

have done to guide the vision and make

FOND FAREWELL

A very familiar face at the Livingston

Manor Free Library, Eleanor

“Ellie”Rose recently retired after

nearly fifteen years of service. Staff

members presented her with a gift

basket in appreciation for her dedication

to the LMFL and the friendly help

she gave to its many visitors.

our aspirations real.”

Ms. Farrell, 92, plans to stay on as a

library trustee for as long as she is able.

After Hines appointed her to chair the

newly formed Buildings & Grounds Committee,

Farrell said, “I’ve always wanted to

head up a committee called “Buildings &

Grounds.”

MEET HOMER!

Homer is a three-yearold

donkey. He helps at

the farm by providing

companionship and

protection to our goats

and sheep. If a predator

comes sniffing around,

Homer will charge it

or scare it off with a

very loud bray. Donkeys

form strong bonds with

other animals, including

humans.

Fine Upstate Vacation Rentals

Since 2007

redcottageinc.com

INSIDER


How Rotary’s Interact students help

NEWS STORIES BY MANOR’S JOURNALISM CLASS

FIT TO BE TIED LMCS Elementary School

Principal Christopher Hubert gets sillystringed

during the Interact Club’s recent can

drive. Jamie Hopkins photo

By Jamie Hopkins

The Rotary Club is an organization in

Livingston Manor whose members share

a love for community service. The Rotary

Club also hosts the Interact Club, which is

a branch of Rotary that focuses on schoolage

students. Any student in grades 6

through 12 who are 12 to 18, years old

have the option to join the Interact Club.

“My goal is to teach students leadership

skills and help them to discover the

power of our club motto ‘Service Above

Self’ which emphasizes the importance of

assisting in our community,” said advisor

Jaime Snow. Student members of Interact

try to organize at least two events a year –

Want to join?

If any students are interested in the Interact

Club, please email Ms. Snow at jaime.

snow@lmcs.us or visit her in Room 300.

one which helps the school or community,

and another that promotes international

understanding and cooperation. Some

events that the Interact Club hold are

can drives, blood drives and Red Ribbon

Week, which promotes drug awareness to

Livingston Manor Central School students.

From Nov. 9 to Nov. 20, the Interact

Club held a can drive to help the local

community food pantry. Even with

the obstacles created by COVID-19, the

students and staff collected 575 items

which were delivered to the food pantry

on Nov. 24. The third grade collected the

most cans and won the opportunity to

silly-string the elementary school principal,

Mr. Hubert, on Dec. 2. Events such

as these teach younger kids kindness and

show them how to make a difference for

those in need.

Another annual event sponsored by the

Rotary Club, and assisted by the LMCS

High School Student Council, is the annual

Ice Carnival dance. Unfortunately,

because of restrictions created by CO-

VID-19 guidelines, as of this writing the

decision on whether there will be a dance

this year has yet to be made.

MINORS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

By Cameron Hoag

Many individuals take part in activities

that impact how their day-to-day

life runs. Whether it’s work, school or

sports, one has to

STUDENT

JOURNALISTS

These stories are

reprinted from

the January

issue of LMCS’s

Manor Monthy.

plan efficiently

and find time

for things that

give joy. For

people who enjoy

helping others,

the Livingston

Manor Fire Department’s

Junior

CHALLENGES OF

HYBRID LEARNING

By Anna Salvemini

The 2020-21 school year has been very

different from other years for teachers

and students alike. While some students

take classes online, others attend in

person. This hybrid education is new to

everyone, creating hurdles that students

and teachers both have to overcome

in order to succeed. The shift to online

learning via the Google Classroom

platform has created an almost paperless

classroom experience which has some

benefits, but has also created difficulties.

For teachers of elective subjects such as

Cadet program is a great opportunity.

The program is for ages 14 to 18 and

introduces students to the skills needed

to become a first responder. First responders

have a tremendous amount of

responsibility. Novices in the program, or

“cadets,” respond to calls and emergency

situations, but with restrictions. They

have limited access to burning buildings,

cannot use tools without proper safety

measures or permission, and can only

drive an apparatus at the age of 21 after

qualifying.

A major responsibility that cadets have

is helping other members as needed.

Some examples include grabbing tools off

the truck, setting out cones on the scene,

helping direct traffic and assisting drivers

with the trucks. These are only a few of

the tasks cadets must perform.

The benefits of joining the Junior Cadet

program range from the satisfaction of

helping others, to scholarship opportunities,

to the ability to be a role model

art and technology, making the transition

to hybrid learning has been challenging.

Specialized classes require supplies

that can not be transported home to

students efficiently. Without supplies,

online students cannot complete the same

projects as in-person students, and that

prevents them from getting the full experience

of the class.

As an example, students in high school

photography do not have access to equipment

or computer programs, so they

improvise by using their phones and free

photo editing apps to complete projects.

Teachers then have to work with whatever

students have access to from home,

which often leads to separate lesson plans

to accommodate all students.

FIRED UP The LMFD Junior Cadet program

trains students as first responders. LMFD photo

and set an example for others. Additionally,

skills like teamwork, responsibility,

leadership and character are learned. For

cadets who take a serious interest, the

department will pay for required classes

that can take from four hours to four

months to complete. If you’re interested

in the Junior Cadet program, contact

Chris Tuleweit at lmfdcar1@gmail.com.

“I strive very hard to give my students

a sense of normalcy by assigning projects

that are new, innovative and fun,” said

LMCS art teacher, Mrs. Jessica Mall. “I

have successfully modified my curriculum

so projects are the same for both

in-person and remote students. However,

depending on the medium and materials,

at times I am unable to make those adjustments

and remote students get a less

cumbersome project to work on.”

With the new restrictions implemented

due to COVID-19, teachers and students

alike are forced to be flexible during a difficult

time. In spite of the many challenges

faced, students and staff are working

to make this year as normal as possible

for everyone.

“SUPERNATURAL” ERA ENDS

By Kaitlyn Burkey

REVIEW

Since the pandemic began, many

people have been binge-watching new

shows. A popular one for teenagers

is “Supernatural” which has ended

recently after 15 seasons. Its elements

of horror, comedy, family, friendship,

mystery and drama get people hooked

from the first episode.

The main characters, Sam and Dean

Winchester, are brothers who investigate

supernatural occurrences involving

demons, vampires and

werewolves (among others).

In one episode, Sam and Dean fight

Lucifer to save Jack, Lucifer’s son, from

the evil ways of his father. Another introduces

a character named Castile, an

angel who helps Sam and Dean fight

dark forces throughout the series.

“Supernatural” incorporates themes

such as family comes first, friendship

is important and free will must be

fought for. Each episode often ends in

a cliffhanger. “Supernatural” rates 10

out of 10 stars and is available on the

CW Network app or on Netflix.

BINGEABLE SIBS Sam and Dean Winchester

of “Supernatural.” netflix.com photo


FEATURES

MARYANNE LOMBARDO, D.C.

Neurologically Based Chiropractic • Infants to Seniors

1980 State Route 52 • Liberty, NY 12754

Phone: (845) 292-0702

Mail: P.O. Box 1210 • South Fallsburg, NY 12779

mychirocare@yahoo.com

Neither rain nor sleet ...

THERE WAS A time in Livingston Manor back

NOW &

THEN

in the mid-1900s that if you

wanted to mail a letter, you had

to cross over the O&W tracks on the west end of Main Street and head to the corner of Creamery

Road. The hamlet’s post office was there, a stucco building in the rococo Catskill style. Today, its facade

has been replaced by red brick and its fanciful arched entryway is gone, but that portion of the building still serves a

municipal purpose, currently as a New York State Dept. of Transportation engineering field office. Manor Ink photos

Now showing

The Tiny House Project

Beginning Saturday, Feb. 6. See the display of houses in

the windows of the Laundry King, 65 Main Street

CAS Annual Appeal

Can you support the arts in the Catskills with a donation?

Please visit catskillartsociety.squarespace.com/donations-1

Wish you were here: Ink

staffer sojourns to Antigua

By Nadine Osborne | Manor Ink

St. Paul, Antigua – Waking up at 5 a.m.,

putting on a mask that seemed to chafe the

entirety of my face and boarding a poorly

air conditioned plane didn’t seem like the

best way to kick off a vacation.

However, mere hours later, I realized that

all of my family’s meticulous protocols had

been worth it. First, a disclaimer: I wouldn’t

encourage anybody to travel at this time,

unless you are (a) going someplace that

has lower COVID-19 rates than the United

States, or (b) getting there in the safest

COLONIAL PAST Exploring an old weathered

fort following a steep, uphill hike.

FEATURES

way possible. Antigua, a small Caribbean

island owned by the British, fits this bill.

They’ve managed to keep virus rates down

by implementing hand-washing stations in

all commercial centers, which has proven

more effective than a simple spritz of hand

sanitizer here and there. Perhaps the milder

climate also helps keep COVID and flu

cases to a minimum, with the temperature

remaining largely the same year-round.

The local wildlife consists mainly of

goats, chickens, mongooses (mongeese?)

and a bustling population of stray cats.

The infrastructure is somewhat limited,

as the island is still considered a developing

country, although the brightly-colored

houses are much more striking than the

drab brownstones of New York City.

Instead, the true beauty of the island is

its geography. In its center is a lush jungle

circled by beaches, cliffs and dockyards,

with crystal clear water that is relatively

calm depending on which part of the island

you visit. Shipwrecks and weathered buoys

dot the coastline, a reminder of the island’s

historical brush with colonialism.

Typical Caribbean cuisine includes rum

cake, curried goat, and sorrel, a beverage

with a sweet, but otherwise indescribable

flavor (it’s good, don’t worry). Embarrassingly,

despite all these options and countless

others, my diet since arriving has consisted

mainly of chocolate croissants bought

at the local supermarket. Perhaps the

only thing better is the pizza. As a native

Brooklynite, up until very recently I firmly

believed that I knew what good pizza was.

But boy, was I wrong. This is purely subjective,

but I firmly believe that Antigua (more

specifically, the civil parish by the name of

St. Paul) has better pizza than Brooklyn. If

any of you readers are particularly offended

by this claim, then I sincerely apologize

(even though I know I’m right).

This article might come off as pretentious

or privileged to anybody reading it

in 15-degree weather, but I need to make

it abundantly clear that is not my intention

in the slightest. While I certainly don’t


VERITABLE

PARADISE

The author’s

balcony,

strung with

pink bougainvilleas,

with a view

overlooking

a nearby

mountain

range.

Nadine

Osborne

photos

miss the weather right now in Livingston

Manor, I absolutely miss the people.

Antigua is very tourist-friendly, with no

language barrier to speak of, yet it seems

as if there is a cultural divide, a boundary

between genuine communication

apart from, “Where are you from?” And,

“How would you like to buy this thing

from me?” Even paradise doesn’t seem so

perfect when you’re surrounded by people

who don’t look like you and won’t bother

talking to you because you don’t look like

them either.

It is, however, still a wonderful experience

that I am incredibly thankful for, and

would highly – and safely – recommend,

despite a tinge of homesickness when

you’re 1,874 miles away.

Join or renew your membership online today! Take a tour of fly fishing history at our

museum, visit us for a trail walk, or sign up for an education program on our website.

1031 Old Rte. 17, Livingston Manor, NY • 845-439-4810 • www.cffcm.com

Real Estate & Custom Modular Homes

“If we can’t find your dream home, we’ll have it built for you.”

CAROLE

EDWARDS REALTY

(914) 799-5075 Mobile

cedwardsrealty@gmail.com

(845) 439-3620 Office

On the web: LivManor.com

Your “Local” Source

for Your Bucket List

Alaskan

Adventure

Don & Vinny

Simkin

&

7 MAIN STREET , LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY 12758

ifishhainesalaska.com | glacierviewlodgealaska.com


ANOTHER ONE GONE

OVER THE YEARS, Livingston Manor has gradually lost

many of its historic buildings, either to floods, fires or

– as in the case for 60 Main Street – demolition. That

structure was only the latest to succumb to time and

change.

The original building on the corner of River Street

was probably built in the late 1800s and had multiple

entrance ways on that side, as the old “Iron Bridge”

over the Beaverkill partially blocked what until recently

was the front of the building. For many years, the

Main Street side was home to a beauty salon, while

the remainder of the building served as apartments.

In the 1910 postcard at right, a portion of the original building

at 60 Main can be seen on the right, adjacent to the bridge

and across from what now is Will Hardware. The photo below

shows the River Street side of the building in the 1950s, next

to Amber’s Department Store, a shop now occupied by Life

Repurposed.

“I remember the place back when it was really nice,” said one

long-time Manor resident. “I’m 62 now, but my grandfather

used to live in the back apartment. We’d visit him there as kids. I

know they had to take it down, but it’s sad to see it go.”

Manor Ink photo, top; photo courtesy of Kurt Knuth, above

1

2

DEMOLITION BEGINS At about 2 p.m. on Dec. 28, a crew from Tweedie Construction began pulling down 60 Main’s rear wall. Manor Ink photos

60 Main St.

3 4 5

REMOVING THE CENTER SECTION A section of the west wall crashes to the street as the excavator removes the interior of the building and a workman wets down rising dust.

falls, but not into the Beaverkill


Long condemned,

finally taken down

It was a dramatic moment when the

final portion of the condemned building

at 60 Main Street in Livingston

Manor was yanked aloft in the steel

jaws of Tweedie Construction’s big Komatsu

excavator. Would the facade crumble,

collapsing the building’s already degraded

foundation and cause a mountain of debris

to tumble into the Little Beaverkill?

It did not, and the landmark waterway

remained largely clear, thus alleviating

concerns that removal of the building

might foul the stream with demolition

material, including asbestos and lead

paint chips. Those were also concerns

that originally caused the condemnation

of the building – a fear that recent floods

had damaged its foundation to a degree

that another deluge might cause the entire

structure to topple into the Beaverkill.

In October, Tweedie Construction from

Walton, NY, was contracted to do the

work, and on Monday, Dec. 28, a crew

with two excavators began taking down

the structure after conducting a thorough

inspection of its foundation and interior.

The demolition proceeded quickly, with

town workers directing traffic through a

single lane over the Beaverkill bridge. After

approximately four hours, 60 Main had

been reduced to a pile of broken boards,

sheetrock and twisted siding. On Tuesday,

the debris was loaded into trailers and

hauled away.

“Once the lot is completely cleared, we’ll

fill it in and secure the bank,” said town

Supervisor Rob Eggleton. “Then we’ll

make the space into a parking lot. More

parking is something we really need.”

6 7 8

FINAL WALLS COME DOWN While one excavator provides support, the front wall is pulled down. The debris was then consolidated and eventually hauled off. The demolition took about four hours.


INK WELL OF HAPPINESS

Farmhouse’s pasta is primo

NORTHERN FARMHOUSE PASTA

This is the fourth in Manor Ink's series of

restaurant and recipe reviews.

Located on Rockland Road in Roscoe,

there is a sweet, cozy pasta restaurant.

This eatery has a nice

aesthetic and very outgoing

staff members. The server

Courtney, with a bubbly

personality, gave information

on each dish with real

Michelle

Adams-

Thomas

WORD SEARCH

By Zachary Dertinger | Manor Ink

Find this month’s hidden words, selected just for Valentine’s Day.

Valentine

Love

Date

Cupid

Poem

Romance

Dinner

First Kiss

Memories

Proposal

Candle Light

Chocolate

Teddy Bear

Sweetheart

Roses

Boyfriend

Girlfriend

Beloved

Adore

Affection

Heart

Flowers

Kisses

enthusiasm.

Chef Bob Eckert presented

this reviewer first

with a colorful chopped

salad with a light and tangy dressing. Next

came a tasting menu of his most popular

seasonal ravioli and one very special lobster

tortelli. That was followed by a cheesy,

crunchy, crisp baked eggplant Parmesan.

Lastly, I enjoyed a savory ramen.

Chef Ekert is focused on sourcing local

ingredients whenever possible. The evening

I was at Northern Farmhouse Pasta,

dishes included meat from locally raised

chickens. Eckert's is the only business

using flour from 100-percent New Yorkgrown

wheat. The flour itself is produced

by Farmer Ground from Trumansburg,

NY. The eggs used are from small local

family farms, and Eckert sources much of

his meat from Hilly Acres Farm in Jeffersonville.

His rich ramen broths are also

made from products from

RECIPE that farm.

Chef Eckert has a loud,

excited personality. His enthusiasm gives

the food an extra kick of flavor.

Getting back to the ramen, which is

a fairly new offering, the bowl was full

of vegetables in a delicious broth. There

were plenty of soy-marinated and sauteed

pieces of chicken, plus fresh soft-boiled

eggs topped with locally grown sprouts

and scallions. The ramen noodles themselves

were handmade by the chef. They

were cooked perfectly and provided a nice

texture while absorbing the flavor of the

broth.

After a unique meal, Northern Farmhouse

Pasta chef and owner Bob Eckert

provided some fresh ramen noodles to

experiment with. Using these noodles, I

made my own new recipe, which is provided

here. Try it yourself!

MICHELLE’S HOMEMADE

ORGANIC RAMEN

Ingredients

1 Tbsp peanut oil

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup kale (chopped)

1/2 cup sweet pepper (chopped)

Small clove garlic

Small onion (chopped)

2-3 small mushrooms (sliced thinly)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

5 cups vegetable stock

1 package ramen noodles

Fresh micro greens, pea shoots

and carrots for garnish

Directions

1. In a large stock pot over medium heat

A site that gets you out and about

At a time when everybody’s confined

to the barracks, sheltering in place,

home for the duration, all because of the

pandemic, we’re all going a bit stir crazy.

Add to that the season’s cold and snowy

ON THE

WEB

weather, and it may seem

like the real pandemic is

chronic cabin fever.

But fear not! There’s relief

for that sensation that the four walls are

closing in. And, par for the course in the

digital age, it’s online.

Here in the Catskills, we’re blessed

with beautiful night skies which, on

cloudless evenings, offer a staggering

array of stars, planets, constellations and

even distant galaxies. The scale of the astronomical

display can be overwhelming

when you think of the distances traveled

by light emitted from those stellar bodies.

But have you ever considered how expansive

space really is? No? Then, to get a

sense of its enormity, pay a visit to stars.

chromeexperiments.com.

The site is called “100,000 Stars,”

though it gives you a glimpse of what

Audrey Garro photos

add oils, kale and onions. Cook, stirring for

2-3 minutes.

2. Add mushrooms and garlic; stir for

another 2-3 minutes.

3. Add peppers, soy sauce and stock.

Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for another

5 minutes.

4. While the stock is reducing, in a separate

pot bring four quarts of salted water

to a boil. Add the noodles to the salted

water and cook for 4 minutes or according

to package instructions. Stir gently with a

fork so the noodles separate.

5. When pasta is still a bit undercooked,

add to the stock. Garnish with fresh pea

shoots, carrots and any additional raw

ingredients.

6. Lastly, enjoy. I know I did!

stars.chromeexperiments.com

seems like many more than that number.

By scrolling with your fingers or a mouse,

it takes you through a tour of our galaxy.

Starting at the Sun, you can explore the

far reaches of the solar system and galaxy

with plenty of interesting factoids that

pop up along the way.

So, when you’re feeling a little claustrophobic,

visit “100,00 Stars” and enjoy

the wide open spaces – out there in outer

space.

INK WELL OF HAPPINESS


Despite horror on an epic scale, Cthulhu is a big let down

Cosmic horror is a difficult genre to explain.

Most notably affected by and composed

of the writings of H.P. Lovecraft,

it is incredibly complex and hard to pull

off well. It mainly utilizes

scale, and the fact that we

are but a tiny, meaningless

speck in the vast universe.

A lot of times, the sort of

“punchline” of the horror

Edward

Lundquist

is the main character realizing

the vastness of their

universe, that they are

not alone, or that there are things beyond

their understanding at play.

Lovecraft’s work revolved around monsters,

massive gods inhabiting our universe

alongside us,

unconcerned with

our hopes, thoughts

and feelings. Many

PAGE TURNERS

times the stories

explained the main

characters discovering these gods, leading

their minds to break, failing under the incredible

knowledge they had discovered.

Dagon is a great example of that, and The

Call of Cthulhu does an alright job displaying

that.

The Call of Cthulhu is probably Lovecraft’s

main opus, his most well known

and iconic short story, which has summoned

thousands of fans to make video

and tabletop games, music, artworks and

The Call of

Cthulhu

H.P. Lovecraft

HHHHH

Sci-fi/cosmic horror

Age 10 and up

other stories with.

I was extremely

excited to read this

short tale, especially

after it had

been so built up for

me. It’s only a few

pages long, and revolves

around Francis Waylund Thurstun,

the story’s narrator, as he uncovers the

connections and happenings of Cthulhu,

an ancient primordial god from the

depths of space, who lies sleeping here on

earth, waiting to be awakened by his cult.

Francis searches for more information,

using different recountings in writing

from various people, including one about

how a band of innocent sailors accidentally

woke up the mind-warping creature,

releasing it onto them. The end of the

story is Thurston realizing that he knows

too much and could now be a possible

target from cultists or otherwise.

To be honest, I was let down. I can

understand why people like The Call of

Cthulhu, but it just really didn’t fulfill my

expectations or wishes. To me, The Call

of Cthulhu is a supporting story in Lovecraft’s

universe, a sort of taste test before

fully submerging yourself in the madman’s

literature.

In my opinion, what this suffers from,

like a lot of Lovecraft’s mythos, is the

“Tolkien disease,” where there’s extreme

language and descriptions that

would probably make the writing scarier

without. It certainly gives his work its

own recognizable energy, but I think it

would be just as good about four pages

and ten brain cells shorter. It also doesn’t

fully fit the cosmic horror genre for me,

not as well as, perhaps, Dagon with its

surreal beauty and horror, or Shadow Over

Innsmouth, with its continual, inescapable

terror. I think that if you want to read

Lovecraft, read The Call of Cthulhu first,

don’t spoil your appetite with superior

works beforehand. It’s good, but not that

good. Three out of five stars.

To parents: This story is a bit strange,

to say the least. I wouldn’t say it’s quite

as nightmare-fueling as his other works,

but more than anything it’s hard to get

through, with some intense language and

unnecessary explanations. On the positive

side, it is a great source of creative inspiration

and may spur a descent into a rabbit

hole of pop culture and other literature.

‘Seduction’ a confused recipe for disaster, so bad it’s almost good

2020. What a year! It’s widely accepted

to be one of the most turbulent, bizarre

times we’ve had the displeasure of experiencing.

I’m sure reporters, readers and

mentors alike can agree

that it shall not be missed.

Unfortunately for us, 2021

has already given rise to

plenty of absurdity, which

I’m reluctant to elaborate

on for fear of grossly

exceeding the word count

allotted for this review.

Perhaps the most entertaining product

Nadine

Osborne

of said absurdity is “A Recipe for Seduction,”

a 15-minute Lifetime mini-movie

presented by Kentucky Fried Chicken,

and starring Mario Lopez as a “sexy”

version of Colonel Sanders (yes, you read

that right!). The film was produced by

Josh Rothfield, and written by Eric Eckelman,

Armand Prisco and Natalie Prisco.

Hilariously, none of these people wanted

their name on the movie poster, perhaps

in an attempt to disassociate from their

disastrous creation. Regrettably for them,

MEDIA

PROBE

REVIEW

their names are now published

on Wikipedia for all to

see. Sorry guys!

To be fair, this film isn’t

something you’d want on

your resumé. It is uniquely convoluted

and chaotic, redefining the short film

genre by cramming a two-hour films’

worth of drama into a fraction of that

runtime. Most short films attempt to tell

a concise, palatable story coupled with

beautiful visuals. “A Recipe for Seduction”

is neither concise nor palatable, although

its cinematography isn’t bad. Its biggest

COSMIC HORROR The primordial god Cthulhu rises from the sea in H.P. Lovecraft’s classic

short story The Call of Cthulhu. François Baranger illustration/amazon.com

weaknesses lie with its

plot, an affair so bamboozling

that I wasn’t

able to parse it together

myself, so I had to

turn to outside sources

(hence the aforementioned

Wikipedia).

A Recipe for

Seduction

Lifetime 2020

No rating

HHHHH

HHHHH*

Ordinarily I’d describe said plot in great

detail, but that would spoil the experience

of watching the movie yourself. All

you need to know is that Jessica Mancera

and her mother Bunny (yes, that’s her

name) are having financial troubles that

could cost them their mansion. Their

only savior? Billy Garibaldi III, an even

wealthier man who has been courting

Jessica for quite some time. The film opens

with Billy’s proposal, but Jessica declines

his engagement and storms off in a huff,

completely throwing a wrench into the

gears. The following day, Bunny frustratedly

confronts Jessica, but is interrupted

by the family’s newly-hired chef, a dashing

Harland Sanders, who immediately

garners Jessica’s attention. From there,

a love connection is born, and the film’s

next ten minutes are such a convoluted

mess they leave viewers like myself beyond

confused.

Despite these obvious flaws, “A Recipe

for Seduction” is hilarious and worth a

watch. If you are looking for a sophisticated,

intelligent film, then I wouldn’t bother

with this one, as it is three out of ten stars*

in that respect. However, if you enjoy a

wild, entertaining movie to laugh at, this

film is easily a nine out of ten. The verdict

is in: the KFC movie is the best thing to

come out of this disastrous era.

22 | JAN./FEB. 2021 | MANOR INK SPORTS

Did you watch the ‘Super’ Bowl? Why?

I admit that I gave up on American “football” about 20

years ago. I was a Jets fan since their one short period of

relevancy under Joe Namath and the wonderfully named

Coach Weeb Ewbank, so that was reason enough to quit.

But then articles started coming out detailing the horrors

of concussions, how players couldn’t remember

how to drive home or their phone

numbers, or how to walk normally or romp

with their children or grandchildren due to

knee problems and other serious injuries.

Our family took a vacation to England

Art

Steinhauer

while a World Cup was underway back

then, and we decided when we came home

to become soccer fans. We got hooked on

the passion of the supporters (“fans” isn’t a proper term),

the simplicity of the game (compared to the bewildering

and constantly-changing, IRS code-like NFL rules

book) and the skill of the professional players

(both my sons played as youngsters).

And meat pies slathered with gravy,

a traditional per-game meal, had an

otherworldly appeal.

Plus, as we started to watch “fixtures”

(they aren’t mere games), I

realized some wonderful things:

n Most of the matches are shown in the mornings here

due to the time difference with England, so watching

doesn’t interfere with your day – and it’s also perfectly

acceptable to have a Guinness at 7 a.m.

n The only commercials are during half-time.

n There are no time-outs, no two-minute warnings (of

what?), no running out of bounds or other nonsense to

halt the continuous play, except, regrettably, soccer has

now adopted the American sports insanity of “replay

reviews,” much to the annoyance of supporters.

n The announcers speak in entertaining English, Scottish

or Irish accents.

n The fixtures take two hours! Yes, 90 or so minutes of

actual playing time plus a short halftime – guaranteed, no

ifs, ands or buts.

Did you know the average NFL game takes three hours

and 23 minutes, and has 50 minutes of commercials as

compared to about 18 minutes of time when the ball is

actually in play? This admittedly provides lots of time for

napping, reading, contemplation or, most importantly,

placing wagers and checking on fantasy team results. My

sons tell me most fans watch because of wagering and

fantasy leagues.

I think it was George Will who once commented, “Football

combines the two worst aspects of American society:

violence punctuated by committee meetings.” This was,

alas, written some years ago in an earlier, more peaceful

era.

Even better – the concept of playoffs is anathema in soccer.

(By the way, it is acceptable to call the sport soccer or

football; why American football is called that is a mystery

to me.) Your team comes in first or it doesn’t – the top four

teams do get to play in the Champions League the following

season, but this would require another article to explain.

And there is no draft to tank for – in fact, there is a severe

penalty for being bad. The bottom three teams in the league

get dropped down into a lower league at a cost of tens of

millions of pounds (they don’t use dollars there) in lost TV

revenues. This would be like the Jets having to play in the

NCAA next year, while Alabama moves up to the

NFL, which isn’t a bad idea at all.

So this means there is no nonsense

like the Jets trying to lose to get yet

another star quarterback who won’t

be the next Joe Namath anyway. Nor

any kvetching (this is not a soccer

term) of the sort exhibited by Giant fans

because their lousy team didn’t make the

playoffs after some other bad team tanked to yet another

rotten team (that can’t even agree on its team name) that

was allowed into the playoffs without exhibiting any

shame. I actually heard a Giants player afterwards say

that one of the highlights of their season was “creating a

winning culture” – although the last time I checked the

dictionary, losing more games than you won wasn’t in the

definition of “winning.”

I should also mention the “music.” Fixtures don’t pipe

any in. The supporters spontaneously sing “God Bless the

Queen’’at the conclusion of matches. Which has a far nicer

and more singable tune than you-know-what over here,

so much so that we ripped off Her Majesty’s song and

changed the words. Also, they don’t feel the need to coerce

anyone into participating by having an honor guard or by

having the RAF fly over the stadium – apparently their

military has better things to do.

So, now that you’re finished watching the Super Bowl,

the football seasons in England and Europe are at the halfway

point, and you can join in progress.

Art Steinhauer is Minister of Propaganda for the Livingston

Manor Liverpool Supporters Club and a Manor Ink mentor.

CALENDAR


FEBRUARY

ONGOING

Livingston Manor

Free Library

Open with health precautions

from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays

except 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursdays,

10 a.m.-noon Saturdays. Storytime

for February is 11:15-11:45

a.m. Tuesdays and 10:30-11:15

a.m. Saturdays; 92 Main St.,

Livingston Manor. livingstonmanorlibrary.org

Ethelbert B. Crawford

Public Library

Now providing 20-minute slots

for browsing the collections;

also offering public computer

use for 30 minutes per day by

appointment. Call 794-4660,

ext. 4 or 5 to schedule an

appointment; 479 Broadway,

Monticello; ebcpl.org

Liberty Public Library

Call 292-6070 to schedule an

appointment to use the library for

30-minute periods for computers,

copying/faxing, browsing/checkout,

or for a tour. Patrons can

also place holds on items via the

library’s website and pick them up

curbside. 189 N. Main St., Liberty.

libertypubliclibrary.org

Hurleyville Arts Centre

Yoga and dance classes are cancelled

until further notice; check

the HAC website for updates;

219 Main Street, Hurleyville.

hurleyvilleartscentre.org

Bethel Woods

Center for the Arts

Please check website for events

and updates. 200 Hurd Rd.,

Bethel. bethelwoodscenter.org

Delaware Valley

Arts Alliance

Galleries open with safety

requirements; please check

website for updates. Offering

virtual exhibits on Facebook

and Instagram; 37 Main St.,

Narrowsburg; delawarevalleyartsalliance.org;

facebook.com/

DelawareValleyArtsAlliance;

instagram.com/dvartsalliance

Catskill Art Society

Open with safety requirements;

also offering art activities for

children online; 48 Main St.,

Livingston Manor. catskillartsociety.org

Inklings

A LISTING OF FUN THINGS TO DO

Send your event to editor@manorink.org

PLEASE NOTE Due to the ongoing effects of the coronavirus

pandemic and mandated social distancing, many events listed here

have new safety requirements. Please check websites for specifics.

Farmhouse Project

Pop-up Shop

Through Feb. 19, Friday to Sunday;

10 a.m.-5 p.m.; 67 Main St.,

Livingston Manor. facebook.com/

events/469714497326816

Sullivan 180 Walkthrough

Wednesdays

At Peace, Love & Lights

Wednesdays through Feb. 24; 6

p.m.; Bethel Woods Center for

the Arts, 200 Hurd Rd., Bethel.

bethelwoodscenter.org

Family-style Takeout

Dinner Benefit

Proceeds go to the Heart-a-Thon

Wednesdays in February; 5-9

p.m.; Piccolo Paese, 2071 State

Rte. 52, Liberty. Order at 292-

7211 or hello@piccolopaeseny.

com; piccolopaeseny.com

Chair 76 with John David

A seated and standing exercise

class for older adults

Fridays in February; noon-12:50

p.m.; Morgan Outdoors, 46 Main

St., Livingston Manor. facebook.

com/morganoutdoors

Caregiver Support Groups

Third Tuesday of each month at

5 p.m. for those who care for a

person with a dementia; every

Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. for family

caregivers; hosted online by

Cornell Cooperative Extension;

register at 292-6180, ext. 122,

or at sullivancce.org/events

FEBRUARY 1-28

Sullivan Renaissance

Workshop

Learn about grants, volunteer

opportunities, summer employment

and scholarships

Wednesday, Feb. 3; 6 p.m.

online; register at SullivanRenaissance.org

or by calling 295-2445

Steve And Antoine: Two

Acoustical Guitars

Thursday, Feb. 4; 6-7:30 p.m.;

Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library,

479 Broadway, Monticello.

Register at ebcpl.libcal.com/

event/7388762

Tiny House Project Exhibit

Saturday, Feb. 6; in the windows

of Laundry King, 65 Main St.,

Livingston Manor. catskillartsociety.org

History of Chocolate

Virtual Program

With historian Peter L. Rose

SWEETHEART DEAL

Livingston Manor

Free Library is having

a drawing for

a heart shaped box

of chocolates as a

Valentine’s Day treat.

Every time patrons

visit the library, they

can fill out an entry

form. Then, on Friday,

Feb. 12, winners

will be drawn from

all the entries, one for a lucky child and another for an

adult. To find out more, visit livingstonmanorlibrary.org,

or – better yet – stop by at 92 Main Street in the Manor.

The library loves its patrons!

Thursday, Feb. 11; 1 p.m.;

Liberty Public Library. Email

lib@rcls.org prior to 11 a.m.,

Thursday, Feb. 11, or call 292-

6070 for Zoom link.

Speech: “Unconditional

Enfranchisement”

Presentation by Oliver King of

oration by Frederick Douglass

Thursday, Feb. 11; 6-7 p.m.;

Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library,

479 Broadway, Monticello.

Register at ebcpl.libcal.com/

event/7388476

Love is in the Air at BHR!

Sunday, Feb. 14; 4-9 p.m.;

Bernie’s Holiday Restaurant, 277

Rock Hill Dr., Rock Hill. Reservations,

bhr-sullivan.com

43rd Annual 98.3 WSUL

Heart-a-Thon

A benefit for Garnet Health

Medical Center in Harris

Friday, Feb. 19; broadcast

throughout the day. 794-9898,

crmcny.org/heart-a-thon

Board of Trustees Meeting

Livingston Manor Free Library

Monday, Feb. 22; 5-6 p.m.; the

public is invited; for Zoom link,

email LMFL Stacey Tromblee at

staceytromblee@gmail.com

Virtual Diamond Delirium

Celabrating 75 Years of the

Forestburgh Playhouse

Wednesday, Feb. 24; visit facebook.com/ForestburghPlayhouse

for times and Zoom link


By Nadine Osborne | Manor Ink

Quarantine, despite being a

serious detriment to many,

has proved motivating for a

select few determined people.

Among those people are Peggy Shaw

and Lois Weaver, a duo of performers

who have had 40-plus years of experience

in show business, and who were

recently challenged to explore a new

medium – Zoom. Previously, their

self-proclaimed “lesbian feminist”

theater group Split Britches had been

performing sensational shows

since its founding in the early

1980s, with titles such as “Lesbians

Who Kill” (1992), “What

Tammy Needs to Know” (2004-2006)

and “Retro(per)spective” (2007-present).

The two are in their 70s now, although

they tend to forget exactly how

old they are. Though they now reside

in their cabin in the Roscoe area, they’re

used to living in small New York City

apartments. But they were developing a

new show in London when COVID-19

struck. They then made the responsible

decision that instead of returning home,

they would stay and adapt to their challenging

new circumstances.

ARTIST

PROFILE

FEATURES

When life hands you a pandemic ...

Shaw and Weaver were lent a minimally-furnished

house with nothing

beyond basic utilities of electricity, heat

and running water. There was only one

chair in the entire house, and they took

that and ran with it. The two consistently

approached their Zoom video movie

with an attitude of “here’s what we’ve

got,” shoving all limitations aside and

creating something truly relevant and

inspiring.

They titled their final performance

“Last Gasp” nearly a year before it came

to fruition, and yet everything within

the world at that time seemed to fall

perfectly – tragically – into place. The

work’s name was later updated with

the changing times, and is now titled

“Last Gasp WFH,” as in “working from

home.” Within 90 minutes, the movie

tackles themes of democracy, gender

roles and aging, communicated via nonlinear

scenes that work remarkably well

together. The shot composition is also

quite artful, taking the somewhat bland,

unattractive platform that is Zoom and

utilizing it to its full potential.

Shaw suffered a stroke during 2011,

Theater duo’s latest a ‘work from home’

MAKING LEMONADE While producing what was to be their last theater performance,

actors Peggy Shaw, seated, and Lois Weaver found their options limited

when COVID-19 struck. The work, originally titled “Last Gasp,” quickly became

“Last Gasp WFH,” a Zoom video film produced while “working from home.” Scenes

from the movie can be seen left and right. Christa Holka photo, below; others, screen grabs

from facebook.com/LaMaMaNYC

which has given rise to a number of

neurological complications, most notably

an inability to memorize lines. So,

during filming she would listen to her

lines on headphones and repeat what

she was hearing. The headphones were

rather bulky, and there was no hiding

them, so the movie did not attempt to.

Truthfully, “Last Gasp WFH” did not

attempt to hide anything about its minimalist

nature, and instead embraced it.

I asked Shaw and Weaver how they

would describe their general writing

process. “Well, what do you think it is?”

Lois replied. This sentiment is something

that they’ve embodied in their

work. I’m sure that if I – or anybody

else, for that matter – asked them what

their film was about, they would give a

similar response.

“Last Gasp WFH” is very modern

and abstract in its presentation, leaving

much open to interpretation. This last

show by the duo was supposed to be an

in-person presentation, as many things

were. But as mass-cancellations swept

the nation, Shaw and Weaver went right

ahead. They’ve since referred to the

pandemic as “enabling,” making it clear

that they were inspired to create not

despite it, but because of it.

Manor Ink Jan/Feb I2021 Issue

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