Fire Recovery Efforts Continue With Dinner Series

By Liz Page

STAMFORD - The outpouring of support for the individuals displaced by the Dec.1 fire that destroyed two historic Main Street buildings in the village of Stamford has been overwhelming and is testimony to the strength of the Stamford community.

Immediately, people were donating clothing and household goods for the 30 people living in the 12 apartments destroyed by the fire. They overfilled the space at village hall in just a couple of days and officials had to put a hold on taking in any additional items, instead creating lists of the items that were available. People jumped in right away to help, setting up spots for firefighters to rehab, supplying coffee and food for first responders.

There have been fundraisers and people like Heather Clark at TP's Cafe´ have collected monetary donations for those who lost their apartments and turning them over to the village. The Bel, Five O'Clock Somewhere and other businesses also held fundraisers or collected donations.

The hardest part has been finding more permanent homes for those displaced, with a lack of apartments locally. Although all of those displaced now have places to live, some are still seeking a more permanent solution.

Firefighters had the sad task of working to bring salvaged belongings to those who had to evacuate the two buildings without being able to retrieve their belongs.

While the community focused on those who were displaced, two local businesses also lost their base of operations. Windstar Realty has announced it is moving to 85 Main St. and will be renovating the space. They thanked everyone for offers of temporary office space and they were working to find rentals for those displaced by the fire. Those victims have slowly but surely found new places to live and get restarted.

The community has also lost a restaurant that was working hard to establish as a place where everyone could feel comfortable and enjoy delicious fare. Half Acres Catskills has no new home to go to in the community and lost everything, according to Cay Sophie Rabinowitz, one of the owners. After months of renovations and work to get the restaurant opened, she and her husband's mission to provide a spot where people could come together and enjoy locally sourced food "evaporated in minutes". They were proud of the fact they were helping to revitalize the community and wanted to carry on the rich agricultural heritage of the Catskills, utilizing local farms, breweries and cideries to highlight seasonal food and drink. They had restored a historic space, which was also important to them.

Continuing that mission with a series of dinners, held at other local restaurant venues, they want to bring the community together for a meal while offsetting some of the catastrophic loss they sustained during the fire.

The first fundraising dinners was held Dec. 27 at TP's Cafe´in Stamford and was highly successful. The next one is scheduled for this Sunday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. at Watershed Roxbury on Main Street in Roxbury. The third will be held at Plattekill Mountain ion Jan. 20 at 5 p.m.. Seasons passes and individual dinner tickets are available at www.halfacrecatskills.com. Donation includes 3 courses and drinks, featuring favorites from the Half Acre menu, with vegan and gluten-free options available.

The dinners are being produced with some members of the Half Acre team, including chefs, kitchen crew and wait staff." All of these people were key to us being able to keep the restaurant going from one day to the next. This is an opportunity for us to recover and give back together with our local vendors Barbers Farm in Middleburgh, Orinoco Cattle in East Meredith, Middlebrook Mills in Jefferson, Magpies on Pink Street in Andes, and others.

The dinners are a collaborative effort and show of support to a couple and their staff, demonstrating that people do appreciate their efforts in the Stamford community.

"Our first pop up dinner was an incredible success; we are overwhelmed by the joy and love we were surrounded with as our beloved community gathered together for a holiday meal. We want to thank you so much for your support so far, and look forward to having you join us for our next dinner," said Robinowitz.