Area Residents Enjoy Jefferson History Day

A model of the old Charlotteville School House that was on display at Jefferson History Day Saturday, June 8. Photos by Chris English.

Jefferson Historical Society President Kevin Berner (center) leads a walking tour of West Main Street businesses and community buildings during Jefferson History Day on Saturday, June 8.

Visitors take in the displays at Jefferson History Day on Saturday, June 8.

By Chris English

JEFFERSON — Luke VanCleef decided to boost his knowledge of local history on a recent weekend morning, and he wasn't disappointed.

The Jefferson resident, his wife Jennifer and daughter Brielle were among dozens of area residents who dropped in on Jefferson History Day Saturday, June 8 at Col.Stephen Judd Hall and other locations in the town. The event featured displays from more than a dozen local historical societies and museums.

"I think they've done a great job," said VanCleef. "Very nice displays. It's very nice to honor the history of the town. I think it would be great to do it every year, would be a nice way to draw people in."

That's the plan, said Kevin Berner, president of the Jefferson Historical Society that organized Saturday's event.

"We decided over the winter we wanted to have a gathering of a wider variety of historical groups here," he explained. "It's a good way to get historians together and people who are interested in history in general. It's also a means of getting people to visit the museum upstairs."

Berner was referring to the Nicholas J. Juried Museum of Jefferson History, on the second floor of Judd Hall.

This was essentially the first annual Jefferson History Day, Berner added, and said the hope is for the event go be held every year and grow bigger.

"Many years ago we did something at the Maple Museum," he noted. "Next year, we will probably do it at the Maple Museum but we couldn't this year because there was construction scheduled there and we didn't know exactly when that would be."

Among the many groups represented at Jefferson History Day were historical societies from Jefferson, Stamford, Schoharie, Middleburgh, Esperance, Charlotteville, Sharon, Sharon Springs, Harpersfield, Carlisle, Schoharie County, Schoharie County Colonial Heritage Associaton, and the Gilboa Museum and Iroquois Museum in Howe's Cave. Included in the many items on display were dozens of old photographs and other historical materials depicting various phases of local history, and a model of the old Charlotteville School House that operated from 1894 to 1951.

In addition to the displays and activities at Judd Hall, Berner led a walking tour of West Main Street businesses and community buildings, with each participant provided literature with capsule histories of each building and other information. Keynote speaker Dr. Charles Ver Straeten, Curator of Sedimentary Rocks at the New York State Museum, gave a talk on local history at the Jefferson Methodist Church.

Gilboa Historical Society President Gerry Stoner, representing the Gilboa Museum, talked to people about the rich variety of fossils and other items of interest at the museum. Next to Stoner's display was one staffed by Vic DiSanto of the Iroquois Museum that featured coin bronze duplicates of medals given to Iroquois code talkers of World Wars I and II, an Iroquois headdress and otter, beaver and muskrat pelts.

"This outfit is unbelievable," said Stoner, pointing to DiSanto and the Iroquois Museum table. Stoner added he thought Jefferson History Day was a great event he hoped would become an annual tradition.

Jefferson Heritage Day is scheduled for Saturday, July 13. The event is billed in a sign in front of Judd Hall as an "all day fun filled free event, rain or shine."

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Athletes Honored in Middleburgh

Congratulations to the Spring Season and End-of-Year Sports Awards winners at Middleburgh Central School. The athletes were honored at a ceremony in the high school auditorium last week.

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Auto Racing News

By Tom Coughlin

Tonight at Dodge City Speedway in Howes Cave is a regular Go-Kart program, plus Senior Wing Champs racing for $200. 

 Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon will have all weekly divisions, plus the slingshots.

 Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta will host a DiCarlo Auto Body 358 modified Shootout along with all weekly divisions. 

 Tomorrow and Sunday is the Pioneer Gas Engine Association 57th annual Gas-Up where they will be displaying historical engines powered by Gasoline, steam, and oil, at their grounds off of Route 443 in Gallupville. The gps address is 130 Murphy Road, Schoharie, N.Y. 12157 

The free show is open 10:00 am. until 5:00 pm. both days. 

 Fonda Speedway will host the F.X. Caprara Car Companies Thunder on the Thruway Series, presented by Parks Companies on Saturday. The modifieds, Crate 602 sportsman, and pro stock divisions will race for increased pures. All other weekly divisions will also be on the program.

 Sunday at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park will be Father's Day Blast all weekly divisions will be racing. 

 Sunday at Devil's Bowl Speedway in West Haven, Vermont they will host the Slate Valley 50, $10,000 to win for modifieds as the Short Track Super Series visits for the only time in 2024.The sportsman modifieds will race topless in a 40-lap feature for $2,000.

 Melissa Shoemaker-Pigliavento assures me that she will have the tribute shirts of her father Kenny "The Shoe" Shoemaker  available at Fonda Speedway on Wednesday, July 3 for the Short Track Super Series Firecracker 50 for modifieds. This is the second tribute shirt that has been designed for Shoemaker and represents The Shoe's win 49 years ago to the day July 3, 1975. The new shirt represents the Joe Leto number 50. Shirts can be pre-ordered by contacting Melissa at 518-816-5472, or messenger through facebook, or by email at melissapigliavento@gmail.com. No deposit is required and if you can not get to the track shirts can be shipped for $6 per shirt. Shirts larger than 2x and kids sizes will need to be pre-ordered. Shoemaker will also have the first shirt design which was the Alan Kugler Barrelhead Rootbeer car available for $25 and if you buy one shirt at regular price you can get a small or medium sized shirt for only $5. 

 Results- Unfortunately, Friday was burdened with scattered showers predicted throughout New York. Forcing most tracks to cancel. Luckily for Bobby Varin the Outlaw Speedway in Dundee, N.Y. was able to get in their program. Varin earned his second modified win in a row at the Finger Lake region 4/10 mile track.

 Saturday night was a busy one at Fonda as they ran a couple of make-up features. The Amsterdam Truck Center modified division ran two 22-lap features. Feature number one was won by a long-time friend of the Lape family as Brian Pessolano earned his first win of 2024, with Jessica Friesen finishing second and Roger Henion Jr. was third.

Demetrios Drellos won his first race of the season at Fonda in taking the second 22-lap modified feature, with Rocky Warner second and Ronnie Johnson completing the top three. The Swagger Factory Apparel crate 602 sportsman division 25-lap feature was won by Mike Kallbrenner as he

the victory ahead of Dylan Madsen and Stephen Gray. In the make-up Swagger Factory Apparel feature from May 25 Clayton DuMond scored the win over Payton Talbot and Dylan Madsen. In the Leatherstocking Credit Union pro stock division 20-lap feature Ivan Joslin claimed the win over Devon Camenga and Nick Stone.

Third generation driver Rococo Constantino earned his first win in the Montgomery County Office for Aging limited sportsman division 15-lap feature,with Timothy Wilmot and A,J, Greco filling the podium. In the make-up limited sportsman feature from April 27,  A.J. Greco earned the victory over Josh Coonradt and Ryan Sweet. 

The Fonda Fair 4 cylinder division saw Jay Ingersoll win the dual cam division and Kenny Hollenbeck won the single cam division. 

Glen Ridge Motorsports Park lost their Sunday program to the rain. 

Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown held their Nostalgia Night on Sunday and it was Peter Britten taking the 30-lap modified feature win. Alex Yankowski finished .4 seconds behind, with Anthony Perrego, Marc Johnson, and Billy VanInwgen completing the top five. Other area drivers were David Schilling in 7th., Neil Stratton 15th., and Robert

Bublak 18th.

Tuesday at Weedsport Speedway the Super DIRTcar Series big block modifieds ran in the Ferris Commercial Mowers 50. 

Mat Williamson claimed the win over Jimmy Phelps, Matt Sheppard, Jack Lehner, and Peter Britten. In the DIRTcar sportsman division Central Region opener Cody McPherson won the feature over Cedric Gauvreau and Zach Sobotka. Zach Buff finished 18th. and Daryl Nutting.

 Coming up on Tuesday, June 25 the Super DIRTcar Series will visit the Great Race Place at Albany-Saratoga Speedway for the Don Davies New York Modifieds 76. DIRTcar sportsman and DIRTcar pro-stock will also have features.

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City of the Hills Sweet Adelines Performing Tomorrow

JEFFERSON — City of the Hills Sweet Adelines will perform on Saturday, June 15 at 7 pm in the Maple Museum, 221 Creamery Street, Jefferson.  This will be the opening concert for Jefferson Historical Society's Free Music & More Series 2024.  

City of the Hills Chorus is a group of women of all ages and all walks of life who meet once a week because they LOVE to sing. They chartered with Sweet Adelines International in 1985.  They sing four-part harmony in the barbershop style and offering entertainment in the Oneonta/Cooperstown area.  Their repertoire includes modern show tunes, ragtime toe-tappers, pop tunes, and old favorites.

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, 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 by CREATE Council on the Arts.

 

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Community Pushes Schoharie Markets

By Joshua Walther

SCHOHARIE - As the Schoharie Village Board met last Tuesday, several members from the community showed up to voice their suggestions for a potential new event on Main Street.

Jennifer Barnett and Michelle Rivera, both business owners within the heart of Schoharie, have been attempting to find a solution to dwindling sales from local residents.

They stated that the phenomenon was worrying not only to them but to other owners as well, and Mrs. Barnett cited an example from the recent Memorial Day parade, noting that the day was slow even though there were crowds outside.

However, they believe that they’ve found their answer in the form of tourism, seeking to draw in outside eyes to bolster the town’s economy. As such, they came before the Board on Tuesday to present their new idea of a recurring village market.

Similar to Middleburgh’s Fourth Friday events, this seasonal market could host local vendors, producers and creative crafters to show off the bounty of the county. Mrs. Rivera explained that there could also be live music and a return of open-air movie nights.

As for the location, the owners could think of nowhere better than in front of the county building. “We have a beautifully landscaped stretch of sidewalk for pop-up tents that we would love to use,” Mrs. Barnett said.

Her excitement for the idea was infectious, and it soon caught the Board’s attention. However, even though every member seemed to support the idea, they would have to obtain permission from the county to use the indicated strip of sidewalk.

And yet, that did not dash the hopes for the idea. While it’s still a mere suggestion with nothing concrete planned yet, the owners said that they’ll work on obtaining the required permission while coordinating with the Promotional Association to assess the project’s viability. 

“It was really great to see everyone on board,” Mrs. Barnett said, confident that the plan will be supported in the future. “We can’t wait to see what comes from this.”

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Great Days at the Gilboa Museum & Juried History Center

GILBOA — Kristen Wyckoff as the educator at the Gilboa Museum & Juried History Center has been busy with local schools field trips this spring! All ages enjoy the Gilboa Museum complex. The elementary groups relate to the fossils in the museum, and get to play inside the museum and outside on the grounds after their tour. They play croquet, corn hole, a school house with dress up clothes and old-fashioned toys. Earth Science classes have come from Charlotte Valley and Milford and incorporated the fossils and Devonian Period into their regents programs. Many college classes relating to science and paleontology come, even from as far away as Kingston, Ontario.

Kristen Wyckoff with Gilboa-Conesville 4th grade-passing around fossils.

Gilboa-Conesville 4th grade eating lunch under the pavilion.

Windham 3rd grade class-looking at what Devonian trees and fish look like. 

     

Windham 3rd grade class on the museum lawn. 

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DEC launches annual reporting system for harmful algal blooms

By Jennifer Patterson

It’s that time of year again.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation recently launched the 2024 New York Harmful Algal Bloom System, which allows the public to send reports of algae blooms to DEC electronically.

“As New York experiences warming temperatures, DEC is working closely with the State Department of Health and our local partners to investigate harmful algal blooms (HABs) and make significant investments to prevent excess nutrients and other contaminants from negatively affecting water quality,” said DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar. “DEC’s updated map and reporting system allows for more effective monitoring of potential threats to the health or recreational use of water bodies, and we encourage New Yorkers to be on the lookout for HABs and report any sightings.”

Blooms are likely triggered by a combination of factors that include excess nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, lots of sunlight, low water or low-flow conditions, calm water and warm temperatures. Harmful algal bloom occurrence and reporting typically increase each year through the warmest months, with the most reports received during August and September. 

HABs were reported throughout Schoharie County and around the Capital Region last summer, including at Thompsons Lake and Bear Gulch Pond, as well as Vlaie Pond.

While most algae are harmless and act as an important part of the food web, the DEC said residents should still “Know it, Avoid it, and Report it” when it comes to blooms, which can vary in appearance. Some look like scattered green dots in the water or long, linear green streaks, while others resemble thick pea soup or green paint. They also range in color from green to blue-green to white.

Some HABs produce toxins while others do not, but exposure to either can pose health risks to people and be deadly to pets, especially dogs that swim. They are also detrimental to fish and other wildlife.

“Exposure to harmful algae blooms can cause health effects in people and animals, including pets, when water with blooms is touched, swallowed, or when airborne droplets are inhaled,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald. “New York State is aggressively proactive in monitoring and combating these blooms to protect public health, and this new map and reporting system will allow New Yorkers to better ‘Know it, Avoid it, and Report it.’”

After a suspected harmful bloom is reported, the DEC uses visual observations, photos and laboratory sampling results to see if cyanobacteria are present.

Once evaluated by DEC and DOH, reports are posted to the harmful algal blooms notification page at https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/83310.html. An interactive map shows bodies of water around the state where these blooms have been reported and confirmed. It also details both current and archived reports, as well as the extent of the bloom in a body of water.

To date, New York has awarded more than $428 million in grants designed to reduce the frequency of algal blooms across the state by targeting phosphorus and nitrogen pollution, and more than $14 million to research and development, pilot projects and advanced monitoring.

To report a suspected harmful algal bloom, go to https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/77118.html. Symptoms or health concerns should be reported to the DOH at harmfulalgae@health.ny.gov. 

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Himme Retires

Middleburgh Central School has announced that this year’s yearbook is dedicated to Spanish teacher Lisa Himme, who is retiring this year. Let’s celebrate her incredible impact on the school community.

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Honoring the Fallen in Fulton

A memorial service was held honoring veterans on May 31st. Dean Rhinehart read a memorial for Marlene Lawyer, a town resident and Air Force veteran who recently passed away.  Dave Dickerson played both Taps and the Star Spangled Banner on the trumpet.  Middleburgh VFW had performed a ceremony the night before. Photos courtesy Al Hodder.

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Gilboa Has New Summer Recreation Director

By Liz Page

GILBOA –  When Flat Creek Road will be open to traffic again is unknown, but residents along the road are still planning their annual 4th of July parade. And the town of Gilboa has a new director for its summer youth program.

Nelta Miller was appointed Summer Recreation Director, as Gilboa Town Board members reluctantly accepted the resignation of Sue Morkaut, who served as the director of the summer program for kids for more than three decades. Miller steps up with experience, helping with the program. "Sue Morkaut has impacted generations of young people in the town of Gilboa," said Gilboa Supervisor Alicia Terry.

While disappointed that Morkaut is stepping down, Terry was elated that Miller has stepped up. She is a licensed teaching assistant at Roxbury Central and formerly at Gilboa-Conesville Central. She has worked with the summer youth program in both communities.

Miller told the board she is very excited about doing it and will be meeting with Morkaut for a seamless transition.

Flat Creek Road has been closed for two years and traffic detoured along Wyckoff Road. A mudslide and unstable bank at one portion of the road resulted in its closure. A county roadway, the county has been researching how to stabilize the roadbed to prevent further slides and the county attorney is in the process of obtaining rights of way from landowners in the area of the closure to allow a wider easement to accommodate that stabilization. The county is also looking at engineering plans and soil nails to hopefully make the repair. 

In the meantime, detoured traffic along Wyckoff Road has doubled. The road travels between the parking lot and athletics fields and the school building at Gilboa-Conesville Central School, which has been concern, with speed limits lowered. However, there is a lot of wear and tear on the town roadway and Supervisor Terry is saying the county should pick up the cost of resurfacing the roadway, since there e is no other case where a county road has been closed for this long and doubled the traffic on a town roadway.

Her case will be heard on June 21 at 9 a.m. at the county office building in Schoharie. She believes the county should adopt a policy to address such situations in the future. The only other times county roads have been closed was for a bridge or culvert replacement and never for this length of time. Wyckoff Road is a critical piece of infrastructure for the town and she is seeking financial help from the county for its repair.

Work is underway at the town clerk's office to install a generator and she said if the town loses the grid by the time of the next town board meeting, they should be able to keep the town offices running. The highway garage is next, along with additional repairs.

Highway Superintendent John Wyckoff reported they have finished oil and stoning roads, which included Blackberry Street and Starheim Road. The town's new truck is expected to be here by July 4 and  Crews have been filling pot holes.

The town will advertise for fuel bids and Wyckoff explained they ran out of fuel this week and would like to find another supply. He said they ran out three times over the year, which is a major problem. During the runout this week, they were fortunately able to work around it and keep the trucks close to the garage without any long hauls, because they couldn't refuel.

Board members approved advertising for fuel bids.

Also in her report, Terry said Gilboa is one of the first two towns of the 10 approved by the county Board of Supervisors who will have a .gov email, which includes the town board members, assessor, code enforcement officer, and planning board chairman. The addresses are more secure and the county agreed to pick up the tab for 10 towns to start the program.

She also reported she will use the engineering report produced on Dave Brown Mountain Road to make an application for a stream stabilization project and other available funding sources.

The residents of Flat Creek Road hold a 4th of July parade every year. It includes all sorts of marchers and vehicles and everyone is welcome.  The lineup is at 11:30 a.m. at the Flat Creek Baptist Church. Despite the detour on Flat Creek, residents turn out every year for the parade and there will be hot dogs at the church after the parade. The parade is a community effort. It marches from the church to Back Road and Back Road Spurt back onto Flat Creek, ending back at the church. A motion was approved to its organizers permission to hold the parade. If you have never attended the parade, it gives you an appreciation for the community.

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Jefferson Central School Revote Set For June 18

The Jefferson Central School District will be putting out to its community the adopted 2024-2025 budget for a revote on June 18. Voting will occur from noon - 8 p.m. in the lobby area by the school library. A second budget hearing was held on June 11.

The proposed $8,137,820 budget has no reductions in programming, athletics, staffing or extracurricular activities. The new figures are up 5.43 percent over the current budget and project a 3.84 percent increase in the tax levy. It remains within the allowable tax cap.

It was rejected by just four votes on May 21 and school board of education members have made the decision to propose the same budget again.

In an email, Superintendent Tarkan Ceng indicated that if the re-vote is not successful, the district will adopt a contingent budget that does not raise the tax levy, as required by law. "In the event of a contingent budget, some reductions in expenditures will be needed to offset the loss of additional tax revenue. It is important to note that many of our expenditures are necessary to meet state requirements and contractual obligations; these expenses cannot be reduced. Therefore, under a contingent budget, we unfortunately would have no choice but to look at reducing costs that could impact the programming we are able to offer students."

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M'burgh Village Agrees to Rebid Work at M&S Depot

By David Avitabile

MIDDLEBURGH - At a special board meeting Tuesday, Middleburgh Village Board members agreed to put the train Depot project back out to bid.

In May, board members rejected the lone bid for upgrades for the historic M&S Depot.

The village, in conjunction with the Middleburgh Historical Society, is looking to build a bathroom, storage closet area, and other improvements at the M&S Depot, located at the corner of Wells and Maple avenues.

In May, the village got a bid from Schoenecker Construction for $69,848 to do the work at the Depot, but officials at their May meeting said the bid was incomplete. Items such as heating, electricity, plumbing, air conditioning were added, the bid would be too high. Trustee Bob Tinker and Mayor Tim Knight said a new plan is needed. 

After reviewing the bid at their meeting in April, board members delayed taking any action as members of the Historical Society want to review and discuss it before the village takes any action.

The cost of the work will be paid for through funds provided for by local benefactor Nick Juried, who also paid for past upgrades.

Trustee Tinker, who has overseen the rebirth of the depot since work started about a dozen years ago, said the upcoming changes at the Depot should include period lighting around the property and a new bathroom and storage area which will be a separate building on the Grove Street end of the building adjoining the present deck. Additional work should include the two new parking areas and assorted concrete work for sidewalks, etc. 

The Middleburgh Historical Society is responsible for financing these projects. It is hoped that most of this work will be done this spring and summer. 

Village board members in April did approve a bid from Schoenecker Construction for replace three sidewalks in the village for $60,900. The village received three bids for that work.

*   *   *

In other action, board members Tuesday agreed to advertise a seasonal, part-time DPW position.

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NYPA Hosts Hosts I Love NY “Path Through History” Event at Lansing Manor

Free Community Event at Blenheim Gilboa Visitors Center to Feature Old-Fashioned Games

NORTH BLENHEIM — The New York Power Authority (NYPA) will host an I Love NY “Path Through History” event at Lansing Manor, a historic home that is part of the visitors center for the Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project, on June 15 and 16 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The event will feature a variety of old-fashioned games such as hoop rolling, hopscotch, Jacob’s ladder and croquet that guests can participate in.

I Love NY’s “Path Through History” event series encourages New Yorkers to explore the state’s rich heritage. New York State has designated annual “Path Through History” weekends to promote the state’s rich and fascinating history. Historical and cultural attractions across the state hold hundreds of special events that are promoted by I Love NY and the New York State Division of Tourism. The 2024 “Path Through History” weekends will take place on June 15 and 16, and October 12 and 14.

The Blenheim-Gilboa visitors center is housed in a restored 19th-century dairy barn and is part of the Lansing Manor complex. The center features a wide range of interactive exhibits on such subjects as: the basics of electricity, uses of electricity, and the operation of the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project. The Blenheim-Gilboa visitors center is open daily for tours between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The Blenheim-Gilboa visitors center is located on Route 30, 17 miles south of Middleburgh, five miles north of Grand Gorge, and about one hour from Albany.

Admission to the visitors center and Lansing Manor is always free. School groups and community organizations are welcome. For further information and a complete calendar of events, please call 1-800-724-0309 or visit www.nypa.gov.

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Cajun Music and Dance with The Rubber Band and Ron Bruschi At Schoharie Library

Tuesday, June 18, 5:30-8:30pm

The Rubber Band returns to the Schoharie Library on Tuesday, June 18, with their unique brand of foot-stomping, toe-tapping Cajun music! This year, Ron Bruschi will give Cajun dance lessons ahead of time so people can enjoy dancing to the lively tunes. Dancing begins at 5:30pm, with live music at 6:30-8:30pm. All are welcome at this free program, no registration is necessary.

The library will also offer Summer Reading Program signups, free make-your-own ice cream sundaes donated by Stewart’s, book giveaways, and fun activities for children. Tables will be set up for anyone who wishes to bring their own picnic.

The Rubber Band includes local musicians Jack Dupont on accordion and vocals, Larry Mazza on guitar, Clemens McGiver on bass and vocals, Jon Mix on drums and vocals,

Chuck Matteson on vocals and percussion, Tom White on fiddle and vocals, and Kristina Johnson on saxophone. A favorite for their joyful, vibrant performances, they thrill and delight audiences of all ages with everything from high energy romps to smooth waltzes. 

Ron Bruschi has been teaching Cajun and  Zydeco dances for many years, including at the annual Flurry Festival in Saratoga Springs.. Ron and his wife Marie run the Dance Flurry Organization’s Cajun/Zydeco dance series on 4th Saturdays from October to April in Albany.

This event kicks off Adventures in the Arts: Building Community, Creativity, and Joy, a series of programs featuring music, dance, painting, a workshop on unleashing the creative process, and needle felting. These programs will be held throughout the rest of 2024.

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, 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 by CREATE Council on the Arts.

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Putman Porch Music at Yankee Hill Lock

FORT HUNTER – Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site is excited to announce another season of Putman Porch Music at Yankee Hill Lock.  The site will be hosting the weekly series on Thursdays from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at Yankee Hill Lock off Queen Anne Road, Amsterdam.   This series invites local musicians to come spend an evening on the historic Putman Canal Store porch to jam and enliven the vibe of the former Erie Canal stop off.  

Musicians with an interest in American roots, bluegrass and folk music are encouraged to spend some time on the porch and be a part of a great shared experience.  Much like a group of canawlers that happen to be stuck waiting at the lock, a few instruments and strong voices is all that is needed to pass the time. 

Putman Porch Music will occur every Thursday in June from 6:30pm to 8:00pm.  These are free events open to the public.  

The grounds for the site are open all year from dawn until dusk. Putman Canal Store is located at 550 Queen Anne Road, Amsterdam. 

For more information about programs at Schoharie Crossing, please contact the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit our NYS Parks webpage. The Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site Visitor Center is location at 129 Schoharie Street, Fort Hunter, NY 12069.The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 individual state parks, historic sites, golf courses, boat launches and recreational trails, which are visited by 78 million people annually.  For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow-on Twitter. 

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