google.com, pub-2480664471547226, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0

Sharon Springs / CV-S Defeats Franklin

Written By The Mountain Eagle on 9/26/24 | 9/26/24

FRANKLIN — Sharon Springs / Cherry Valley-Springfield defeated Franklin on the road last Thursday in an impressive 2-1 win. Kris Cade had two assists while Tyler Houk had two goals.

For Franklin, Jacob Kingsbury had the sole goal for Franklin.

Special thanks to Cyle Conley for the information.


Remember to Subscribe!
Subscription Options

“Sharon Things - Local Happenings for Sharon Springs”

By Alexis Pencar

Hey Neighbors!

It is officially Fall and the weather is making sure we know it too! After some warmer temps last week we have shifted out of the dry spell and into the cooler and wet weather. Look out for 60s and cloudy with lows dipping into the 50s at night. Should be even more of a cool down next week too!

The Sharon Springs Harvest Festival was a huge success last weekend! It was so nice to see everyone out and enjoying the Village! The new sidewalks up Main Street were a hit with visitors!

The Cherry Valley Kite Festival is coming up on Sept. 28th from 10:00 - 5:00 PM. This annual event is hosted by The Teepee on Route 20 and is located on Campbell Road in Cherry Valley. Visit their Facebook page for more information.

The Sharon Springs Dance Festival is coming up on October 4th and 5th. This year’s festival features an exciting performance by Ephrat Asherie Dance and a full day of diverse dance workshops for all ages and skill levels. Please visit www.Klinkharthall.org/dance for more information.

Sharon Orchards is open for the Fall season! They are pressing apples 7 days a week and are making their famous apple cider donuts on the weekends! Visit them at 573 Chestnut St, Sharon Springs, NY 13459.

Wren’s Earth Refillery is now open for business Thursdays from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM and Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The shop is located at 277 Stage Coach Road, Sharon Springs, NY. You can shop anytime at WrensEarth.com. 

Parsons Vegetable Farm has all your Fall needs AND The Outrageous Snack Snack is also now open Friday through Sundays from 10-4 PM serving up specialty handcrafted donuts and more! Located on Route 20 across from the Walmart DC. 

The Klinkhart Hall Concerts in the Park are over for now but check out all the upcoming events on their website at klinkharthall.org!

Sharon Springs Free Library News: 

It's "MVLS-GO" time! Every library in the Mohawk Valley Library System has its own Summer 2024 Trading Card that can be collected. Stop in to our library to check out our unique and limited-edition trading card for Sharon Springs. We challenge you to try to collect all 14 from every library! Check out the map of all the participating libraries by visiting mvls.info/trading-cards/

The Library is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays from 3:00 - 8:00 PM, Mondays & Thursdays from 10:00 - 6:00 PM, Saturdays 10:00 -1:00 PM, and Sundays - Closed. 

For more Library information please contact (518) 284-3126.

The Sharon Springs Food Pantry is an excellent local resource for all! They are located in the United Methodist Church on Route 20, across from the school (511 US Route 20, Sharon’s Springs, NY 13459). They are always accepting donations! If you or someone you know is in need of the Pantry, the hours are Thursday 9:00 -10:30 AM and 5:00 - 6:30 PM. For more information please contact (518) 284-2687 or follow them on Facebook.

Worship Services

The Sharon Reformed Church (6858 State Route 10, Sharon Springs, NY 13459) offers weekly service at 10:30 am. Contact at (518) 234-2387 for more details.

The Sharon Springs United Methodist Church (511 State Route 20, Sharon Springs, NY, 13459) offers weekly service at 10:30 am. Contact at (518) 284-2200 for more details.

The St. Thomas The Apostle Catholic Church (24 Maple Avenue, Cherry Valley, NY 13320) offers weekly mass at 10:00 am. Reminder: confession is available 30 minutes before every mass. Contact at (607) 264-3779 for more details.

The Zion St. John’s Lutheran Church Seward (114 Mesick Ave, Cobleskill, NY 12043) offers weekly service on Sundays at 9:00 am. Contact at (518) 234-3222 for more details.

Cornerstone Baptist Church (7274 Route 10, Ames, NY 13317). Sunday Service is at 10:00 am. All are welcome. Contact (518) 673 3405 for more details.

Sharon Sr. Congregate Meal Site

Local residents are invited to enjoy good company and a noon-time meal year round (except holidays) at the Schoharie County OFA’s “Spa Ritz” Sr. Congregate Meal Site at the Firehouse at 137 Beechwood Rd. M-W-F. 8 oz of 1% milk is served with each meal. Orders for meals must be called into the OFA office at (518) 295-2001 before 2 p.m. for the following day. Effective January 1st the suggested donation for those 60 years old and older is $5.00 per meal. Under age 60? You’re welcome to participate for a fee of $7.50 per meal.

To share community news, upcoming events, business specials, adjusted hours, birthdays, anniversaries, or even an outstanding resident, please contact me directly at (772) 971-1410 or alexis.pencar@gmail.com. Have a great week! Thanks!


Remember to Subscribe!
Subscription Options

More Events for Vets

By Alexis Pencar

SCHOHARIE COUNTY — This past September has been a busy one for the Schoharie County Veterans’ Service Agency! They are continuously working so hard to offer more each month for local Veterans. 

Some of the events and experiences range from camping and horseback riding to things like the Schoharie County Health and Safety Fair that was at the County Office Building yesterday, Thursday, September 26th. These are wonderful opportunities and resources for local Veterans to talk and find support if needed. 

This coming Saturday, September 28th from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM is the Wildlife Festival at the Blenheim-Gilboa Visitors Center, this will be an educational and fun event for the whole family. The festival is located at 1378 NY-30, North Blenheim, NY. 

On the same day, Saturday, September 28th, at 1:00 PM is the Veterans Range Day at the Richmondville Fish and Game Club located at 811 Highview Rd, Richmondville. This is a popular  monthly event.

If you have questions, want to get involved, or just need to talk, please do not hesitate to reach out to Kris Hofeller, who runs the group, at (518) 295-8360, Cell: (518) 929-2832, or email Kristian.Hofeller@co.schoharie.ny.us. For any general questions, please contact The Veterans’ Service Agency Office. They are located at 284 Main Street 3rd Floor Schoharie, NY 12157 or call (518) 295-8360.


Remember to Subscribe!
Subscription Options

Volunteer and Sponsor Appreciation Luncheon at Landis Sept. 29

ESPERANCE — We know that Landis is a strong and vibrant resource to the community because of its volunteers. Without you, we could not exist. The Landis Arboretum Board of Trustees want to recognize you for all that you do. We also want to meet people who may be interested in becoming members or volunteers! Family members are welcome, too.

We'll be there from noon to 2:00 PM on Sunday, September 29 in the Nicholas J. Juried Meeting House at the Landis Arboretum, 174 Lape Road, Esperance.

We would appreciate a RSVP so that we can plan appropriately for food and beverages. For more information or to register, contact us at info@landisarboretum.org, or call us at 518-875-6935.

Just bring yourselves - or add a spouse or family member. We will provide a delicious lunch of homemade soups, crusty breads, cheeses, and desserts. Wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages will also be available. If you have a plant or two that you'd like to pass along to someone's friendship garden, bring that too - and perhaps go home with a plant new to you as well! Come on out, enjoy a wonderful lunch, and gaze out over one of the most beautiful valleys in New York State.

Location: The Meeting House

Volunteers, family members, the "volunteer curious", and sponsors: free


Remember to Subscribe!
Subscription Options

Kane Brothers Blues Band Rocks Pine Hill

By Robert Brune

PINE HILL — This northern Catskills homegrown group of musicians who’ve performed with music

legends have not forgotten how much fun it is to entertain the locals with their ferocious style of

blues. This past Friday evening the Kane Brothers Blues Band chugged along like a sturdy

locomotive engine at the Pine Hill Community Center (PHCC). One of the audience members

recalled seeing the Kane Brothers Blues Band when they started performing as a band in 1972

when Jonathan Kane (drums) and Josh Colow (vocals and guitar) were 15, Anthony Kane

(vocals and harmonica) was 17 and Ray Ploutz (bass) was 16 years old. The Kane brothers

lived in Boiceville and spent lots of time at their father’s place in Margaretville. Ray Ploutz grew

up in Roxbury, and now living in Florida, he comes up for occasional performances here in the

area. 

The Kane Brothers Blues Band toured together between 1972 – 1977. The young group

was able to find their way into Woodstock clubs performing with the help of fake ID’s, building a

following with their powerful and fiery passion for blues rock n’ roll. Jonathan Kane explains the

legacy of the group, “Touring the east coast, from Boston to NYC and everywhere in between,

and occasionally opening concerts for our heroes, including Muddy Waters, James Cotton,

Willie Dixon and others. We reformed in 2003 for a few years, and again in 2023”. The group

went in separate directions for a number of years, as Jonathan Kane broke into the industrial

rock scene at CBGB’s in NYC as an original member of the Swans during the formative era that

shifted rock music forever. Jonathan Kane went on to participate in groups totaling 40 record

albums, including his work with guitar innovator Rhys Chatham. Anthony Kane spent several

years continuing on the blues path with his legendary harmonica gift and singing with Muddy

Waters, Koko Taylor, Luther Tucker, Sam Lay, and many others. Josh Colow, with his blistering

guitar licks, has a string of dance hits in Europe but returned to Woodstock to perform with

greats such as The Band, Rick Danko, and David Torn. Rejoining the Kane Brothers Blues

Band, Ray Ploutz’s bass is a driving force creating the backbone rhyme of the group, once

again.

On this evening the PHCC was hopping with excitement through every song. During the

group’s rendition of Ray Charles ‘Mess Around’, Wendy Brackman and her husband Lou were

doing the giddy up in the back of the seating area, as about twenty others hopped and swung to

the infectious classics and originals pulsing from the stage. Jan Albert, who used to work for the

Village Voice, didn’t stop moving through both sets wiggling in her seat and waving her hands

and arms to the music. The joy that these local guys were able to share with the community

made for an unforgettable evening. Jonathan Kane continues with his musical endeavors, 

extremely busy with other bands including ‘Doom Dog’ with David Bowie’ss guitarist of 15 years,

Reeves Gabrels, who also is a member of superstar band The Cure. Everyone else has their

lives and commitments, but who knows, maybe if the stars line up we dust ourselves off again

sometime and play some more in the future”. Keep a look out and be sure to catch this

outstanding group’s performance the next time they come around.

Just that I have never seen so many people up on their feet and dancing at the PHCC! There was no passive listening that night. They were smoking! That lead guitarist -wow! That harmonica player! That drummer! I just discovered the Kane Brothers Band but as I left the show, I met a group of fans outside who knew and loved their bluesy tunes since the 1970s!” said Jan Albert, formerly of the Village Voice.


Remember to Subscribe!
Subscription Options

ECOscape: New Works by GG Stankiewicz

The Sidney Memorial Public Library, 8 River Street, Sidney, will host an opening reception Oct. 5, from 1-3 p.m. for ECOscape, an exhibition featuring new works created by GG Stankiewicz inspired by the native plants and fungi living in the Delaware County landscape. These paintings and works on paper highlight the colors, shapes, textures and patterns of the local landscape emphasizing its’ transient nature because of light, weather, seasonal and land use changes.  GG is a multidisciplinary artist. She lives in Delaware County and her art studio is in Delhi, NY.

This event is free and open to the public Oct. 5 – Nov. 30, 2024. Viewing is during library open hours visit www.sidneylibrary.org. For further information: ggsartlab@gmail.com or IG:gg.stankiewicz.studio

This project is made possible with funds from the Delaware County Arts Grants, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered in Delaware County by the Roxbury Arts Group. 



Remember to Subscribe!
Subscription Options

THE CATSKILL GEOLOGISTS BY PROFESSORS ROBERT AND JOHANNA TITUS - A Convenient Truth, Part One

With an illustration by Karl Anshanslin

After losing the 2000 presidential election, former senator Al Gore set about the beginning of a major career change. He wrote a very influential book “An Inconvenient Truth.” In the book, and later in the movie, he documented the evidence for a warming worldwide climate. Within both of these you can find before-and-after illustrations of glaciers that have been melting away in recent decades. The story was pretty much the same wherever he looked; he found glaciers thawing all across the globe. He feared the effects of this upon the world’s ecologies. How many extinctions would follow this great melt You can certainly get the book from your local library, and we recommend that you look at the photos on pages 51-57. They show the before and after melting back of the glaciers in a number of locations. You have probably also seen similar illustrations elsewhere.

Well, the long and the short of this is that you would hardly imagine that we could do something similar in terms of illustrating another major warming event – the final melting of the Pleistocene glaciers, perhaps about 14,000 years ago. We are talking about the good global warming, the one that made the world far more habitable for our own species. Let’s call that a convenient truth: the one that made upstate New York habitable for humans. The two of us think that we can actually see this. And the other long and the short of it is that we think we can see this right here in our favorite part of the Catskills – the Blue Trail, just north of North Lake. Yep, that’s where we were last week. And you can see global warming right there; it will be the topic of this and next week’s column. We want to solve some of the puzzles we found last week. Go to the North Lake parking lot and head north on the Blue Trail. Take a look at last week’s photo and today’s first photo. We would like it if you hiked to the top of that arrow on the map.

                       A map of a river

Description automatically generated                     A forest with trees and leaves

Description automatically generated                                                                                          

You have taken the Blue Trail up to a site called “Badman’s Cave.” That will be a lot easier if you bring along someone who has already been there. Right there are the upper reaches of a canyon that drops about 350 feet down to Mary’s Glen. Our blue arrow traces this canyon. See our second photo. That’s a vertical Badman’s Canyon wall on the right and the canyon floor to the left. But there is no stream here. What a curious feature this is. It is, indeed, a canyon but there is not a drop of water in it. That seems impossible, doesn’t it? How can there be a canyon without the stream that carved it? We saw this many years ago and guessed the answer right away. We turned around, looked to the east, and, in our mind’s eye, we gazed into the late ice age past. We saw a glacier abutting the Catskill Front right here. We were looking into the latest chapter of the last Ice Age and the climate was warming – fast. Vast volumes of meltwater were pouring out of the melting ice and torrents of this were roaring past us. That was downhill and off to the southwest. The noise was almost painful. This was not just a loud flow, but it was also a very erosive one. Those raging floodwaters were cutting into the bedrock. We stood there, transfixed, and watched all of this – these were the origins of that mysterious Badman’s Canyon.

But this is just the beginning of the story. Al Gore would have made this a “before” image. We need at least one “after” – don’t we? Let’s pick up on this next week.

Contact the authors at randjtitus@prodigy.net. Join their facebook page “The Catskill Geologist.” Read their blogs at “thecatskillgeologist.com.”



Remember to Subscribe!
Subscription Options

Bruised Fruit: Hiding the Truth

By Max Oppen

Trust is fragile. Once broken, discarded, damaged, and disregarded, you lose a part of yourself—at least I have. When all you have left is your word, being trustworthy gives you a sense of self-worth and identity. Even when you're penniless or homeless, being honest feels better than being a destitute, homeless liar.

I've lied since I was very young. It's hard to admit. I guess we all lie at some point in our lives—those "innocent" white lies we tell others, like about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy. For some, that's where lying ends. For others, it's a training ground—a way of life to build upon and practice. Looking someone in the eye and making things up on the spot without blinking takes practice.

I was eight years old when I caught my mother carrying bags of wrapped presents downstairs to put under the Christmas tree. That was when I knew Santa wasn't real. I didn't immediately think my parents had been lying to me forever, but I did feel let down. A piece of my childhood magic had been erased, and the innocence of my youth began to chip away. That must be how my family feels about me now—let down.

When trust is lost in a relationship, I'm not sure it can ever be fully rebuilt. It's like a mudslide in Northern California that covers a road and suffocates people in their cars. The mess may be cleaned up, the road rebuilt, and the slope reinforced, but the event is never forgotten. Maybe it's different with immediate family. Maybe it's not. I don't know yet.

I became good at lying. I grew into a good manipulator - so good that I didn't always know I was doing it. After a boot camp of distrust, being a functional addict is where I ended up. Everything fell to pieces after that due to the progressive nature of addiction. It's a real war staged inside your head. I was constantly battling myself, trying to stay ahead of my own bullshit. It became a weight I carried - an invisible boulder weighing me down as I attempted to navigate the life I had built for myself with others.

When I was kicked out of my mother's house, I had been living there rent-free and spending my money on drugs. This was during COVID-19. It's painful to think about all the damage I caused. These were my people, my tribe. These people were always there for me, no matter what. But "no matter what" now mattered. When Bob Marley sang, "You can't run away from yourself," he was spot on. No amount of drugs I consumed could ever undo the mudslide I caused. I used drugs to shake reality. I wanted no part of it. It's a terrible Catch-22. Make mistakes, lie, do drugs to forget, mess up, get arrested, lose jobs, lose loved ones, burn bridges, and do more drugs to try and erase all the feelings of inadequacy, regret, and sorrow. Drugs are good for killing the pain, if only for just a moment.

Sometimes, people see you for who you are. And what they see isn't pretty. Some people I know think I'm crazy for writing these columns. And that's ok. I must live in the light, not behind a closed blind, peeking at imaginary shadows. I must open the doors and windows and bathe in the cool air and sunshine. I need to acknowledge what a terrible person I was and hold myself accountable for all my bad choices, one day at a time. I am a good person who made some genuinely awful mistakes over and over again.

This summer, I didn't want to live anymore, and I nearly accomplished my goal. Ironically, coming that close to removing myself from this planet gave me more insight into who I was and who I had become than anything any therapist ever said to me. Now, on Sunday, September 22, as I write this, I want to live. I have 56 days clean today. The sun is shining, my door is open, and my blinds are up. It's a gorgeous day.

I'm about to join my community and cover the 12th Annual Cruisin' on the Mountaintop Car Show in Tannersville. It's just steps away from where I live. Instead of hiding behind a curtain in a dark room with a crack pipe in my hand, I'm going to be a part of something. I want to be a responsible human being and a productive member of this mountaintop I call home.

Some may whisper, "Hey, there goes that drug addict reporter," and that's fine. Go crazy. You need to have thick skin to be a reporter anyway. Plus, manual labor and staying clean have helped me heal. I feel my body getting stronger, and the honesty and tears help me heal emotionally. This column isn't just about helping others, though. Step 12 of Narcotics Anonymous says, "Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs." It asks you to apply these principles in every part of your life and to help others struggling with addiction. While I've only completed the first step "officially," which is admitting that I'm powerless over my addiction and that my life has become unmanageable, I know I can make a difference and help others.

It's not just in my head either. People pull me aside and say I'm brave for doing this. My editor and I get emails from people who have had people with an addiction in their lives or who have experienced what I've gone through, thanking us for sharing this message.

Being an addict and thinking you're only hurting yourself is a really selfish way of living. Through my drug use, I destroyed not only my life but others' lives, too. My addiction consumed me—nothing else mattered. But now, things are starting to matter. No matter what, I will not use drugs today. As the days pass, I feel more connected to myself. It's funny, even now I have to be a little selfish—I have to focus on myself because if I don't love myself, there's no way I can ever truly love anyone else or be loved by anyone. Building back trust is an uphill battle, and I want to be clear headed and present for the fight. 


Remember to Subscribe!
Subscription Options

A Conversation About: Shrooms

By Jean Thomas

This week, the podcast, “Nature Calls, Conversations from the Hudson Valley” drops the first of a two part conversation about native wild mushrooms with John Michelotti. John may be familiar to many of you, as he is the founder of Catskill Fungi, in Big Indian. He’s a widely respected mycologist (that’s mushroom expert) and in addition to teaching and traveling to educate the rest of us he operates the commercial kitchen on Route 28 known for the giant mural of colorful, you got it, mushrooms!                                                                              

Ordinarily, at this time of year we’d be roaming around the woods and stream banks ooh-ing and aah-ing at all the different kinds of mushrooms. Not so much this year. There’s been a lack of rain, and moisture is the trigger for a lot of these little characters to pop up. I have seen chicken-of-the-woods a couple of times, but not much else. The chicken-of-the-woods are a great big exuberant eruption of orange ruffles that are very popular. I even saw some for sale at an area farm store. They are, however, just about the only “shrooms” I know by name. And I’m not curious enough about how tasty wild mushrooms are to go out and hunt them. My gourmet mushroom experience includes a nice mushroom omelet and, when I’m being extravagant, a sandwich with a Portobello mushroom.  Sometimes I’ll make a casserole with cream of mushroom soup. If you’re so inclined, though, almost every county’s Cornell Cooperative Extension office has experts who lead guided walks to learn about the many kinds available. Our area is apparently loaded with varieties of yummy edible ones. Well, they’re all edible. It’s just that some can make you sick or kill you.

Of course, we aren’t limited to wild mushrooms. There is a whole industry of mushroom growing commercially. There may be a “mushroom farm” near you where you can buy fresh “shrooms” once in a while, or (my choice) you can buy compost consisting of the (usually horse) manure they were grown in.  Or you can join the millions who send away for spores (kind of like seeds) to inoculate (plant) into special logs. Once you inoculate the logs, you store them outside somewhere special and wait. Often for months. Then the mushrooms grow, you pick them at the proper stage, and you cook (or dry or preserve) them.  It is amazing how many kinds of edible mushrooms there are that you can grow at home from materials purchased from safe suppliers. Oyster, shiitake, wine cap, lion’s mane, and even chicken-of-the-woods are among the many available to hobbyists.

There is also a whole pharmacy of benefits to be found among the various mushroom types. Not for beginners, though. The experts have dedicated years to learning about the various qualities of the different mushrooms, and the best ways to use them. It’s fascinating to study the infinite variety among mushrooms and their codependence with other plants, but don’t get overconfident. Find an expert. The Catskills are full of them. Experts and mushrooms, both.                                                                                              


Remember to Subscribe!
Subscription Options

CREATE to Host Annual Fundraiser ‘On The Table’ - Weekend of Events Planned to Highlight Local Arts Community

CATSKILL —  CREATE Council On The Arts is excited to announce the launch of the nonprofit organization’s annual fundraiser exhibition with a host of fun opening events and festivities planned for the first weekend in October. CREATE has chosen the occasion to highlight their mission to nurture the greater arts community with “On the Table,” an exhibition co-curated by local artist Deena Lebow and Executive Director Stella Yoon where the talents of our creative community will be on full display. 

Spread throughout CREATE’s two floors of gallery space, the “On the Table” exhibit features artwork ranging from one-of-a-kind place settings by local artists for an Imagined Dinner Table to Napkin Sketches created by artists near and far. There will be a showcase of work curated around the theme throughout the gallery. Fundraising events include a special, ticketed Preview Party on Friday, Oct. 4th from 5-8pm in which guests get a first look at the exhibit, place bids on place settings on auction, and get first pick of Napkin Sketches available for purchase while enjoying snacks and sips from some of our favorite local purveyors. 

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, Oct. 5th from 2-4pm with a special appearance by our local Kitchen Shrink, Tamar Adler who will be answering all your culinary questions. “On The Table” will also have a special installation of artist Maria Manhattan’s personal  “Napkin Sketch” collection. Manhattan will present an artist talk later in the month along with a whiskey tasting by author Carlo DeVito on Friday, Oct. 25th from 6-8pm. 

Featured artists in the “On The Table” exhibition include: Abbie Zuidema, Andrew Pellettieri, David Flynn, Fern Apfel, Gretchen Kelly, Jordan Baker, Kiki Smith, Laleh Khorramian, Maria Manhattan, McWillie Chambers, Melissa Weaver, Richard Scott, Susan Simon, Victoria Maxfield, and Yoonmi Lee.

For CREATE’s On The Table fundraiser, local artists were invited to create place settings for the Imagined Dinner Table, a special exhibition centerpiece showcasing a rich variety of local art on view and available for auction. Artists on the table include: Alyson Pou, Becca Van K, Carrie Dashow, Emily Johnson, Julie Chase, Kim Gilmour, Lucy Bohnsack, Mary Anne Davis, Paula Greif, Paula La La La, Rodney Greenblat, Sarah Mijares Fick, and writer Dave King.

CREATE has a fundraising goal of $30K. For tickets to “On The Table” events or to contribute a donation, visit: https://create-council-on-the-arts.square.site/ CREATE is located at 398 Main St., Catskill, NY. 

CREATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS is a non-profit, arts service organization whose purpose is to support and advance the arts and cultural community by broadening and enriching creative resources and economic growth in the region. CREATE serves as the Statewide Community Re-grant arts organization for Greene, Columbia and Schoharie Counties.

Since 1975, CREATE has provided information and essential services to artists, arts organizations, cultural and educational institutions, civic groups, community agencies and the general public, and continues to grow its outreach as a regional arts council. CREATE is supported in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and the Greene County Legislature. 

Questions? Email gallery@createcouncil.org


Remember to Subscribe!
Subscription Options

Whittling Away with Dick Brooks - On Film

I was going through my desk the other day and came across a packet of negatives.  The long strips that had five or six negative images of pictures I had had printed back in the ancient days of cameras that used film brought back distant memories.  Almost everybody today carries a camera with them all the time.  The smart phone has single handed killed off the camera and film industry.  I’m always pulling mine out and taking pictures of everything I find interesting or useful.  I took a picture the other day of the mouth wash The Queen wanted.  At the drugstore, I pulled out my phone, looked at the picture and was able to come home with the very product she wanted.  After the drugstore, I stopped at a local thrift shop and saw something I thought she might be interested in so I took a picture of it and texted it to her.  I always have hundreds of pictures in my phone that I can call up at a moment’s notice.  Back in the day (a useful phrase I find I’m using more and more) you needed to have a camera and film to take a picture.  Most folks had a basic point and shoot camera that you could purchase at most drug stores or at one of the “Big Box” stores of the time—Newberry’s, Woolworth’s, Montgomery Wards or Sears.  Next you needed film to fit the camera you bought.  Most of the cameras I had used Kodak 126 film.  You chose color or black and white and the number of pictures you wanted, usually 12 or 24 pictures per roll.  If you were going to take pictures inside, you needed a flash attachment and flash bulbs or flash cubes which plugged into the camera top.  If you got serious about taking pictures, you bought a 35 mm camera with an adjustable lens, a light meter, a telescopic lens, a close up lens, a flash gun and a tripod.  You needed a bag about the size of a small suitcase to carry all this junk around.  No matter what kind of camera you used, when you had taken the number of pictures on the roll of film in your camera, you had to open the camera, take out the roll of film, reload the camera with a fresh roll, then take your film to the drugstore or mail it to Kodak to have it developed.   There were even little booths in parking lots where you could drive up to and drop your film off.  In a week or so your pictures were ready and you went and picked up the fat envelope, opened it and got to see your masterpieces for the first time.  The envelope contained your pictures and negatives so that if you liked a particular picture, you could take the negative of that picture to the drugstore and get another print of that picture made.  When you got your pictures home, you supposedly put them in photo albums.  Most of mine wound up in shoeboxes in the closet. Despite my best intentions to write information about who was in the picture or where it was taken, very few of them got the who, what and where written on them so now on the very rare occasions that I thumb through a box of them, I have no idea who the people or places are.  Such are the things memories are made of.

Thought for the week—A lot of people don’t recognize opportunity because usually it goes around wearing overalls and looking like hard work.  –Thomas Edison

Until next week, may you and yours be happy and well     

Whittle12124@yahoo.com     



Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

Ricky Zia’s Holday-daze Oct. 5

PINE HILL — Pine Hill Community Center Gallery Presents: Ricky Zia's Holiday-daze ... a solo show.

Just in time for spooky season, as we head into the holidays... Ricky's clowns, witches, elves and other characters occupy a world that feels like a John Waters movie set in 1980's Coney Island.

His sculptured figures and works on paper are a little campy, a little creepy and all uniquely fun. 

Come see the weird and wonderful world of Ricky Zia.

Opening reception: Saturday, October 5th, 2-4pm (the show runs through November 30th)

Pine Hill Community Center 

287 Main Street

Pine Hill, NY


Remember to Subscribe!
Subscription Options

Donate to Support Local Journalism

CONTACT US:


By phone: 518-763-6854 or 607-652-5252
Email: mountaineaglenews@gmail.com
Fax: 607-652-5253
Mail: The Mountain Eagle / PO Box 162 / Schoharie NY 12157

https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=M6592A5TZYUCQ

Subscribe!

Site Archive

Submit your information below:

Name

Email *

Message *