GONE TOO LONG

                                    WAJ Kindergarteners Re-Appear

WINDHAM - The kindergarteners at Windham-Ashland-Jewett school have been regular guests in the pages of this newspaper.

Their teacher, Mrs. Christine Corrigan, provides photo documentaries of various field trips throughout the community including the local highway department and a plethora of destinations.

They have been missed over the past few months, reappearing with an in-house visit from Ronald McDonald House Charities.

The Tri-City Valley Cats Class A Minor League Baseball Team mascot hit a homerun, serving as a guest reader for a presentation to students Pre-K thru 4th grade as part of the event.

WAJ will be participating in a read-a-thon for the month of March, helping raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Anyone wishing to donate can contact school guidance counsellor Nicole Baldner.

And the littlest classmates also marked the occasion with a Dr. Seuss birthday celebration, honoring the legendary American children's book author and cartoonist. 

Theodor Seuss Geisel worked under the pen name Dr. Seuss, authoring and illustrating more than 60 books, selling over 60 million copies, translated into more than 20 languages.

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Municipal Staff and Community Members Welcome to Attend Schoharie Watershed Summit

The Schoharie Watershed Summit returns to the Hunter-Tannersville Jr-Sr High School (6094 Main St,  Tannersville, NY 12485) on Saturday, April 6th, 2024. The Summit is a free, one-day conference offered  by the Schoharie Watershed Stream Management Program (SWSMP) at Greene County Soil and Water  Conservation District (GCSWCD), in partnership with the New York City Department of Environmental  Protection (DEP). 

The Summit was developed to serve as a forum that brings a diverse set of Watershed stakeholders  together to network, learn from, and share interests with one another. The first Summit – presented by  the Schoharie Watershed Assistance Program in 2007 – was attended by approximately 120 people and  focused heavily on turbidity issues. The turnout was indicative of the deep interest local and regional  stakeholders have in learning about the status of stream management in the Schoharie basin, the  different programs that are available to support local communities and landowners, and how to protect  the quality of the community’s natural resources. With morning presentations, followed by afternoon  training sessions, the Summit offers community members the opportunity to hear about relevant  studies and projects, while simultaneously providing local officials with training opportunities that fulfill  annual training requirements. 

This year’s morning presentations will include: 

• New York State Mesonet for Water-related Research by Dr. Junhong (June) Wang of UAlbany This presentation will cover how the NYS Mesonet supports water-related research through  offering a variety of high-quality and high-resolution hydrometeorological and other water related data and products. It will also share trends in precipitation, snowfall, soil moisture and  temperature at sites located in Schoharie Watershed as well as examples of applications of data  in emergency and watershed management. 

• Local Flood Analysis: Making the Catskills Region more resilient to flooding by Mark Carabetta of  SLR Consulting 

This presentation will provide an overview of SLR’s Local Flood Analysis studies across the  Catskills region, discuss challenges encountered, share lessons learned, and provide examples of  hydraulic analyses undertaken and flood mitigation strategies recommended. It will also provide  examples of implemented projects that were recommended in Local Flood Analysis studies. 

• Unraveling the Gordian Knotweed: Management of Japanese Knotweed in the Catskills by John  Thompson of the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP) 

In this presentation, CRISP staff will cover current best management practices, experimental  methods, and the future of Japanese knotweed biocontrol. Knotweed is a common streamside  and roadside invader that can reproduce from a tiny root fragment, which has led to its spread  along many Catskill rivers and streams. 

Afternoon workshops include:

• Introduction to the National Flood Insurance Program 

• SEQR: The Short Environmental Assessment Form 

• Introduction to the Greene County Web Map (laptop required) 

• Post Disaster Floodplain Administrator Response and Flood Insurance Implications 

The program is offered free of charge and draws attendees from municipalities across Greene County  and the Schoharie Reservoir watershed. Registration is required. For more information about the  Schoharie Watershed Summit and for a link to the registration page, please visit https://gcswcd.com/.  For more information, please contact amanda@gcswcd.com or 518-622-3620. 

The Schoharie Reservoir watershed is part of the Catskill/Delaware Watershed for the New York City  public water supply. The Schoharie Reservoir watershed includes the entirety of the towns of Windham,  Jewett, Ashland, and Prattsville as well as the villages of Hunter and Tannersville. The towns of  Conesville, Gilboa, Hunter, Lexington, Halcott, Jefferson, Stamford, and Roxbury are all partially included.

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Calling All Budding Talents and Seasoned Artists

The Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District (GCSWCD) is excited to collaborate with the  Main Street Community Center in Windham, the Mountain Top Library in Tannersville, and the  Windham Arts Alliance to present an all-ages art show called Flowing Impressions as part of 2024’s  Schoharie Watershed Month. Schoharie Watershed Month (May) offers a series of free events that  celebrate the waterways that flow across the Schoharie Basin, as well as the 315 square miles of land  that feed them. 

We invite all – regardless of artistic background – to submit artwork inspired by the lands and  waterways of the Schoharie Reservoir watershed. This event provides the opportunity to make art while  exploring new locations or focusing on your favorite natural space. The deadline for adult artwork  submission registrations is March 15th. The deadline for youth submission registrations is April 15th.  

The art show will feature two openings – both on Saturday, May 4th. All youth artwork will be on display  at the Mountain Top Library (6093 Main St. Tannersville, NY) and the opening event will coincide with  the Mountaintop Earth Day Celebration. All adult artwork will be on display at the Main Street  Community Center (5494 State Route 23 Windham, NY). The opening event for the adult artwork will be  held from 1PM to 5PM and feature a Watershed geology talk by Robert and Johanna Titus at 2:30PM  (registration is required to attend this presentation). 

Schoharie Watershed Month events are offered free of charge by the Schoharie Reservoir Stream  Management Program at GCSWCD, in partnership with the New York City Department of Environmental  Protection (DEP). For more information and for a link to the registration page, please visit  https://gcswcd.com/. For more information, please contact amanda@gcswcd.com or 518-622-3620.

The Schoharie Reservoir watershed is part of the Catskill/Delaware Watershed for the New York City  public water supply. The Schoharie Reservoir watershed includes the entirety of the towns of Windham,  Jewett, Ashland, and Prattsville as well as the villages of Hunter and Tannersville. The towns of  Conesville, Gilboa, Hunter, Lexington, Halcott, Jefferson, Stamford, and Roxbury are all partially included.

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Supercharged urban circus 360 All Stars at Orpheum Performing Arts Center

Hunter – Catskill Mountain Foundation presents 360 All Stars, a nonstop high energy circus of extreme sports set to supercharged soundtracks at the Orpheum Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 9 at 7:00 PM. This spectacular family event features BMX, basketball, breakdancing, acrobatics, drumming and more!

A phenomenal physical performance exploring all forms of rotation, 360 ALLSTARS connects the street with the elite to deliver a supercharged urban circus. Boasting a stellar international cast of World Champion and World Record-holding athletes and artists, 360 ALLSTARS is a spectacular fusion of the extraordinary artistry that emerges from street culture.

Add to this a stunning live soundtrack delivered by award winning musicians, coupled with spectacular video projections, 360 ALLSTARS is as aurally exciting as it is visually astounding.

A magnificent, colorful and astonishing expression of a generation that has reinvented the circus, 360 ALLSTARS is a revolutionary production that will leave you dizzy with excitement!

“BMX, basketball, breakdancing, beatboxing, acrobatics, drumming and more!” “The most thrilling stage show ever.” —Weekend Notes ★★★★★

“Blindingly talented. The energy is infectious” —Broadway Baby ★★★★★

"Dazzling, thrilling & exceptionally good fun" - Kiddo Magazine ★★★★★

Don't miss this chance to catch 360 ALLSTARS at the Orpheum Performing Arts Center, 6050 Main Street, Tannersville, NY as part of their 10 year anniversary World Tour on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 7:00 PM. Tickets are available online at www.catskillmtn.org, by email at boxoffice@catskillmtn.org or by phone at 518 263 2063. For information about Catskill Mountain Foundation’s upcoming programs, please visit www.catskillmtn.org. 

Catskill Mountain Foundation is supported in part by New York State Council on the Arts, the Greene County Cultural Fund administered by the Greene County Legislature, The Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation, The Royce Family Foundation, The Samuel and Esther Doctorow Fund, The Orville and Ethel Slutzky Family Foundation, Platte Clove Bruderhof Community, Bank of Greene County Charitable Foundation, The Greene County Youth Bureau, Marshall & Sterling Insurance, All Souls’ Church,Stewarts Shops, Windham Foundation, and by private donations.

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The Prattsville Scoop

By Abby and Gabby

PRATTSVILLE – Not too soon to start marking your calendars for upcoming summer events as follows:

The Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary Virgil E. Deyo Unit 1327, will be on Saturday, March 30, 11 AM, at Young’s Ace Hardware, Prattsville. According to the number of children attending, there will be three age groups so even the younger ones get a chance to fill their basket.If anyone would like to join in stuffing eggs, donating candy for eggs, etc. etc., call 518-299-3219. The more the merrier, especially after last year – a splendid success. See you Beth? Last year’s dual Easter Egg Hunts were a success and thoroughly enjoyed by all ages.

The 12th Annual Car Show for Cancer Patient Aid will take place on August 11, 2024 at the Ashland Town Park, Ashland, NY. The Windham Rotary Foundation will be the lead on this very worthwhile event. It seems to get bigger and better attended each year. We don’t want to overload your schedule and will keep the information to the minimum right now until the date gets closer. There is a Pre Registration Form, $10 non-refundable, available for those who want to get their reservation in early. The flyers for this event have already been printed and you can call Rhonda or Diana at 518-291-0883 or 518-734-5303 ext. 2 or CancerPatientAidCarShow@gmail.com. More information is on the flyer and we will be adding more information, “teasers”, each week in The Scoop until we feature your specific interest. See you there. This is for such a good cause and you get to thoroughly enjoy a Sunday afternoon. Thank you Windham Rotary Foundation and Rhonda and Diana. You are appreciated. Craft Vendors?

Time is getting close for the St. Patrick’s Day Card shower sponsored by the Greene County Veterans Agency. You can drop your cards off at the agency at their offices at the Greene Medical Arts Center, 2nd Floor, Catskill, and they will make sure the cards will be delivered to the multiple nursing homes in Greene County as well as in Hudson. You can call Michelle at 518-943-3707 for answers to your questions. She will also try to help you with all veteran-related questions, the agency is very helpful.

Pat Minew stopped by to replenish her stash of material – well somewhat. Right near the top was Christmas related material to make the gift bags for the veterans’ 2024 Christmas celebration. You can never be too ready for the Christmas Celebration. If there is anyone willing to make a few Christmas gift bags for our veterans, call 518-299-3219, and we can give you the pattern and material to let you get started on a few to help with our cause – thank you. One of our veteran’s wives from Freehold who has helped us in the past is not in a position to help us this year so we can always use the extra seamstresses and/or crafters.

The Krausses’ youngest grandson Hayden has returned from his trip to Italy This was a music oriented trip, marching band participation, and will wait for more information.

A family birthday dinner was enjoyed by Rob Gurley, Amanda, Dad Bobby and Jen and grandparents Bob and Ginny. Nothing like a grandson celebrating his 38th birthday too bring you up short on your age. Also celebrating a birthday was Lori Dippold, actual date March 3 – Happy Birthday Lori. Lori has ties to Prattsville being the first cousin of Peggy Young. Peggy’s mom, the late Peg Wilkins. and Lori’s dad, the late Colin Becker, are siblings. Also Lori and Rob are distant cousins with mutual Deyo connections. Not celebrating birthdays but enjoying dinner out on the town were Diane Cammer Eklund and Deb Carman Colliton – their mutual birthday is January 4. They just like to celebrate and enjoy each other's company over a good dinner. Nice to see you.

Francine, AKA Fran, Melodia has started the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program and she is finding it a bit intense! She is well rested for this course because she recently returned from a few weeks vacation to Spain. She is in the right area for undisturbed studying, she lives in Spruceton near the site of the Tumbleweed Ranch. Many of us remember when Tumbleweed really was a ranch catering to young boys from “the City” to get a taste of country living.

Feel better wishes go out to our Mike Camna. Speedy recovery Mike.The Reform Church of Prattsville will have their Annual Easter Bake Sale on Saturday, March 20, 9 – Noon at Jim’s Great American. This is a good chance to get your Easter Dinner desserts without the extra baking and you know the baked goods will be supreme because we have talented bakers donating their creations to the bake sale.

Congratulations to Caitlin Clark, college senior at Iowa State, on her record breaking/setting basketball scoring on Sunday! Number 1 for all collegiate basketball players – both female and male - ever. Of course the national news was “oh yeah, Clark broke the record”. Equality, where art thou?

The next Soup and Sandwich luncheon at the Kaaterskill UMC’s Blue Room, Main Street, Tannersville, will be on Tuesday, March 12, 11 AM to 2 PM. The conversation and food are worth the trip.

One day it is spring with above average temperatures and the next day winter has returned. Keeps you on your toes. Spring ahead this weekend. Good bye to that extra hour we enjoyed in the fall.

American Legion Auxiliary Virgil E. Deyo Unit 1327 will be meeting on Tuesday, March 12, 7 PM, at the Prattsville Town Hall. There are a number of events that will be discussed and planned for. How about stuffing Easter Eggs with candy for the Easter Egg Hunt? The benefit will be tasting some of the candy. Also a get-together will be arranged to attach this year’s Poppies to the cans for distribution in May. Refreshments are available at this time, as well as conversation. Also the American Legion Virgil E. Deyo Post 1327 will be meeting on Thursday, March 14, 7 PM at the Prattsville Town Hall. First and foremost will be the arrangements for the Memorial Day Ceremonies and parades. Please attend these meetings.

Happy Birthday to Scott Haskin on March 10. On March 12 it is Happy Birthday to Brandon Grant Jr. Happy Birthday to Laurel Van Aken’s twin sons, Aaron and Adam, on March 14.

News? Send to gurleyrv@gmail.com or call 518-29-3219. Thanks.

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Traditionally Speaking…by Pat Larsen - Kids in the Kitchen…

After the great responses to the column,  Guy in the Kitchen, it became evident that sharing

The next chapter, Kids in the Kitchen, just made sense. We are a family who both love to cook and hence love to share meals with our families and friends.

Our eldest son came home for the holidays in his freshman year of college and requested that in lieu of Christmas gifts that year, he wanted to learn how to make and bake bread. 

Nothing warms the heart of a mother more than to hear that kind of acknowledgement and request.

And so, that winter season, he and I set about discovering all that was involved in bread baking.

I had learned the art of bread baking from my maternal grandmother and now the thought of passing on that wisdom to my oldest child  was a gift that he was actually giving me that year without even knowing it.

There’s an element of understanding how very different the generations pass along knowledge. Grandma never used a recipe. Heck she didn’t read recipes. There was an inner knowing. As she explained it, you use all your senses. She said that in Italian, btw. English was her second language. I shared that with my son as we began and incorporated the written word of recipes from a favorite book I referred to alongside a tactile sense of how the bread dough would feel when it was done just right. 

The results of his efforts and my teaching skills yielded some pretty great results right out of the gate. His intention was to bring this contribution back to his dorm floor and to be the designated bread baker for parties. His aspirations could have led him to become the best BARRISTER at his college, so, we were delighted that a more formidable contribution  was the path he was taking. 

Moving on to our second cooking prodigy, it became evident  that at the delicate age of 5 yrs old, when he used the milk crate to stand on at the stove, that there was a budding chef in the making. Little did we know, down the road, he would become a Culinary Institute graduate. But before we get too far ahead in the story, this special little man became quite proficient at Sunday eggs, french toast and the like every weekend. He looked for every opportunity to step up, yes, figuratively as well as literally to make meals for us every week. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t attempt to cook for us. Trial and error were his constant companion and left us no choice but to order in on those occasions  when the meatloaf tasted like old boots ground up with a jalapeno pepper. His retort was often, “hey, put some ketchup on it!”  Laughter became our constant companion back then.  Let the kid cook was our motto.

Cook he did. He grew into becoming a very accomplished chef, opening restaurants, creating incredible menus on the East End of LI, working with top name chefs and traveling to ply his talents and learn about foods from everywhere.

We are always very excited when our Chef joins us for the holidays. It's incredible to just watch him and  the organization of maybe 20 things in preparation all at once, for our  meal while  he was sharing in the conversation we were all having. This is the gift he continues to give us as well and we truly appreciate the blessing of having this kid in the kitchen.

Next up, the  gifts that our third child brought to our table as a kid in the kitchen.

The art of the organic preferences of a child attending a liberal arts college and

Focusing on healthy meals vs loads of yummy stuff that we were known for ingesting.

It was because of this caring child, that we had begun eating more greens, beans and tofu.

Resistance was the emotion at the start however, in her defense, we learned to love kale.

Black bean brownies eventually grew on us and before we knew it, we actually enjoyed Kombucha.

Sometimes, kids who are surrounded by so many cooks in the kitchen while growing up, might take a minute to catch up to be recognized for their gifts. That was definitely the case with this child now grown up. The holidays prepared by her now are scrumptious and very much appreciated by the healthy properties that she shares with us.

Grand kids are now taking on these roles in the kitchen as we choose to step back as the years encroach on us as the Elders. 

I’ve now been approached by the younger ones with a request that brings this story full circle.

“Hey Nanny, can you teach us to make bread like you do?”  

Pat Larsen lives in Greene County, NY. Contact Pat for a bread recipe, (only kidding)

At 518-275-8686 to chat.

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Obituary - Robert J Barnum

Robert James Barnum Jr left this earth on March 2, 2024 while surrounded by his family to join his maker in heaven. Born August 29, 1945 in Cornwall, New York.

Bob enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1963 at the age of 17. As a Vietnam Veteran he returned home as a Purple Heart recipient.

Bob was well known for his skills as a mason and enjoyed stonework that will stand for generations to come. Bob’s strength was fierce and his work as a pastor touched lives all around the world.

He was the oldest of 9 siblings, survived by 7.He was the loving husband to his wife Kate (Johansen) Barnum of 45 years.He is survived by his five daughters Laura (Rusty),Cindy(Paul), Aimee(Dave), Beth (Mikey) and Callie (Ian).

He was also the proud Poppy/Baba of ten grandchildren, ten great grandchildren with two more greats on the way.

The calling hours will be held at the Jewett Presbyterian Church on Saturday March 9,2024 at 11:00 am, followed by a 12:00 service where Bob will receive a final salute from the military. Refreshments to follow.

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All About Racing

Mike Romano sits in a familiar seat on March 1st.  Mike is back at Andy’s Speed Shop in Johnstown and ready to greet customers.  Facebook photo

By Ed & Betty Biittig 

Some big news coming to the social media pages this past week……..Mike Romano is back!!!!! Back at Andy’s Speed Shop in Johnstown and ready to greet customers.  When we spoke with him on Saturday, he said the question he received most the first day, March 1 was “do you have tires?”  And did he have tires, 1000 Hoosier tires were available and many sold the first day.  Many people stopped in to chat and the line is still going.  And for the veterans, the shop’s namesake, Andy is also in the shop on occasion for a few racing stories. 

We are not going to get into how Mike ended up back at Andy’s Speed Shop but he said he’s going to do things a bit differently.  He and partner, Eric Miller have hired people so that Mike does not have to do the amount of work he did before.  There will be an Andy’s Speed Shop truck at Albany-Saratoga and Lebanon Valley for the upcoming racing season.  The long-term plan is also for Mike to teach racer, A. J. Miller, the ropes of running a speed shop business.

While we are still waiting for the weather to welcome racing back to the area tracks, in the meantime, there are a number of upcoming events scheduled that will give racers and fans a preview of things to come for the 2024 season. 

This weekend, Saturday and Sunday, March 9-10 the 35th Syracuse Motorsports Expo at the New York Fairgrounds Center of Progress building will welcome fans and drivers from all over the northeast and Canada.

Closer to home are two events scheduled for this weekend March 8-10.  The Jill and Lance Sharpe Motorsports team will hold a Lebanon Valley Car Show at Colonie Center Mall.

March 9th Elmo’s Speed & Supply is holding a racing seminar at the Polish Community Center in Albany.  Check the Elmo’s Speed Facebook page for details.

Dodge City Speedway in Howes Cave has their 2024 schedule posted on their Facebook page. 

BD Motorsports Media LLC held the 2023 awards banquet on February 24 in New York Mills with over 400 in attendance.

The awards honored competitors from Fonda, Utica-Rome, Brookfield Speedways, the Thunder on the Thruway Series and the STSS for the past season.

Fonda and Utica-Rome Modified, 602 Sportsman and Pro Stock competitors were also competing for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championships and Matt Sheppard (modified) was honored as Northeast Champion and Division I National runner-up; Payton Talbot (602 Sportsman), Division II National Champion and A.J. Walters Division III (Pro Stock) Northeast Champion.

In February during Speedweeks in Daytona Beach Florida, Brett Deyo, promoter at Fonda and Utica-Rome was named Promoter of the Year of Northeast Region by Racing Promotion Monthly.

Other news that came to the social media pages this week, Danny Ballard of Grand Gorge has semi-retired; he has sold his Slingshot car and will no longer be a car owner, but he is still willing to drive for someone else.

Until next week please send all news and/or comments to biittig@yahoo.com

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