A Conversation About: ragweed and goldenrod

By Jean Thomas

Ah, the wonder of the summer/fall allergies. The old timers used to call it “rose fever” or “hay fever.” The classic sneezing, sniffling headachey feelings from old fashioned allergies. Too much pollen resulting in “sinus face” and sunglasses to cut the glare of the sun. In this wonderfully advanced age we can consult with allergists to the extent our insurance allows and be diagnosed with specific allergies. But most of us just find an over the counter remedy to combat the symptoms because we know the malady is seasonal and will go away fairly soon.

Today I want to talk about one of the biggest injustices in the plant world. Since I can’t remember when, goldenrod has taken the blame for the allergy suffering. While I am no fan of goldenrod as a botanical citizen, it’s getting a bum rap. More and more of us are recognizing the true culprit, ragweed. It ranks high on my list of sneaky villains. Let’s look at the biography of each plant.                                                                 Goldenrod is a perennial whose formal name is solidago. It is native to North America and there are about 150 species. Most have distinctive golden spikes of flowers in the Fall. They are a popular choice for perennial and native gardens and meadows and fields are full of them. Obviously they produce massive numbers of flowers… each spike is composed of hundreds of individual tiny flowers. Which produce lots and lots of seeds, which spread over a large area, aided by the birds.  BUT their pollen is not a great allergen. Goldenrod pollen is not distributed on the wind. It is distributed by bees and other insects, including Monarch butterflies, BTW. It is possible to be allergic to goldenrod pollen, but actual physical contact is required.

I have to admit I respect and admire Ragweed. It is sneaky and subtle, and its formal name is just as sneaky. Scientists know it as Ambrosia. Talk about false advertising. When something is compared to the food of the gods in its name, don’t you automatically think it’s probably something yummy?   There are about fifteen main varieties of this native annual, differing mostly in size. The cleverness of this plant lies in the fact that it doesn’t make flowers that we would recognize as flowers. They are green and look more like seed pods than flowers. Nobody has ever said of a ragweed plant, “look at the pretty flowers.” Their success lies in the fact that they are so green and boring. The leaves are kind of lacy and harmless looking. They keep the best part of their success quiet. Their pollen is windborne and one giant ragweed plant is said to easily produce up to a billion pollen grains. That’s a thousand million. Per plant. And that’s not all…they start flowering when they’re just babies.  With that kind of fertility, seed production is a pretty sure thing, continuing the cycle of torture.  Internet rumor has it that up to one in five of us is allergic to ragweed. I prefer to call my allergy “rhinitis.” So much more elegant. Try it; it may make you feel better. And if you like, you can learn more about both of these fascinating plant families by listening to “Nature Calls, Conversations from the Hudson Valley”, episode 123. Here’s a link. https://ccecolumbiagreene.org/gardening/nature-calls-conversations-from-the-hudson-valley/episode-123-weeds-of-the-northeast.  The guidebook discussed in the episode is one of the best I’ve ever seen.

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

Whittling Away with Dick Brooks - Directions

I consider myself a reasonably intelligent person with a pleasant easy going personality but I will admit to one male characteristic that seems to universal among those of us of the male persuasion.  I don’t like following directions.  If I have something that needs to be assembled I rarely look at the directions, I’ve put lots of things together and I know how to use a screwdriver so I lay out the parts, look at the picture of the completed object on the box it came   in and it’s easy to figure out how the parts go together.  Most of the things I put together work, some of them reasonably well.  True, some of them make funny noises and you have to turn the switch on the blender to “Off” if you want to get it to run and then switch it to “On” to turn it off.  A minor problem, after using it for a couple of weeks, you don’t even think about it anymore.  I do keep all the instructions in a drawer with all the warrantees that I have to send in someday.  I didn’t buy the thing to break down so I probably won’t need them anyway.  A lot of the directions are misleading anyway.  “Easy to assemble using simple hand tools” should be followed by “and an engineering degree”.  I also hate to ask for directions when traveling to unfamiliar places.  First of all, I’m uncomfortable because I don’t know where the bathrooms are, being a senior citizen, I know the location of every bathroom within a radius of thirty or forty miles of my home base.  This is my comfort zone, being in the “I don’t know where to go” zone makes me nervous.  The Queen always makes silly suggestions like, “Why don’t you ask that nice man walking his dog?”  I don’t know the guy.  He could be a serial killer and his ten pound companion looks vicious.  Besides I’m not really lost, I’m pretty sure what county we’re in and usually am pretty sure which state we’re in.  I got one of those GPS things but I don’t like some lady I don’t know telling me what to do.  “Turn right in half a mile, turn right in a quarter of a mile, turn right in 100 ft.”  It gets me all tensed up, how do I know there’s even a road that goes off to the right.  Suddenly there’s the road to the right but I miss it because I’ve been too busy listening to the lady in the box.  She never says, “Sorry”  no, she says, ‘recalculating” in kind of a snotty way that infers that she’d like to add “Dummy!”.  She then starts telling me how to turn around.  Going backward doesn’t seem like progress to me.  I figure if I keep driving around long enough, I’ll get where I want to go so I turn the lady off and start looking for a bathroom.

Thought for the week-Older males don’t need directions, everyone’s always telling us where to go anyway.

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

Whittle12124@yahoo.com

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

Gilboa Naturalist Fossil Tree Descendants Hike Aug. 3

Fossil Tree Descendants Hike

Saturday, August 3, 10:00 a.m.

 $5 per person or $10 per family

Identification of Mosses, Ferns and Club Moss will be led by Trista Shultes of Gardens by Trista. Kristen Wyckoff will compare the Devonian Fossil trees to these primitive plants.

Meet at the Gilboa Museum 10:00 (please come 10-15 minutes early to register). We will be driving to the site in Gilboa promptly at 10:00.

The hike is on an old logging trail with a steady incline for about a mile.

Hot dogs will be served after the hike and then we’ll hike a mile back downhill.

Please contact Kristen Wyckoff if you are interested in participating.

607 437 7132 or Kristen.wyckoff@yahoo.com

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

Obituary - Carol Murray

Carol A. Murray, 67, of Grand Gorge, N.Y., passed away peacefully on Friday, July 19th 2024. 

Carol was born January 6, 1957 in Catskill, N.Y., the daughter of Raymond Schmid and Mildred (Chase) Schmid. She graduated from Hunter-Tannersville Central School in 1975 and married her husband, Tom Murray of Grand Gorge, in 1979. After staying at home to raise their three daughters, Carol went to work with Tom at Red's Auto Supply in Prattsville until they both retired in October of 2022.

Carol was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, always putting her family first. When she wasn't spending time with her family she enjoyed gardening, crafting, reading, and was a member of the Grand Gorge Auxiliary. She is survived by her loving husband, Tom; her three daughters Sabrina (Keith) Brown, Bridget (Chad) Loucks, Heather (Jake) Murray; grandchildren Addison, Cheyenne, Chad, Oliver, Adelin and Audrey; sister Debbie (Tom) Brooks and brother Ray Schmid; stepmother Theresa Schmid; mother-in-law Laura Murray; sisters-in-law Lin (Hank) Gockel and Joyce (Dan) Peckham; and many nieces and nephews. Carol was predeceased by her parents, Ray and Millie. 

Calling hours will be held July 29th from 4pm to 6pm at Miller Funeral Home in Roxbury, services to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Grand Gorge Rescue Squad. 

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

ASF To Host WIM Mountain Biking Event Next Week

WINDHAM — The Adaptive Sports Foundation (ASF) is set to host its Warriors in Motion® (WIM) mountain biking event next week from Tuesday, July 30-Thursday, August 1. 

Six retired U.S. military veterans are expected to attend next week’s event, including army veteran Matt Garrad, who has participated in WIM programs before, but this will be his first time mountain biking with the ASF. “I’ve been on a bike two times in the last month, which equates to biking two times in several years,” Garrad said with a laugh. “I really enjoy the activity itself, but I’m most looking forward to spending time with other veterans. I love doing strenuous activities but doing them with other people makes it more enjoyable.”

Garrad and the five other warriors are scheduled to arrive at the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center on Tuesday around noon. They will meet with the ASF staff and volunteers and enjoy a lunch before getting fitted for their bikes and safety equipment. Once everyone is comfortable with their ride, the WIM group will head to CD Lane Park in Maplecrest for its first ride of the week. The warriors will then. Check into their hotels and relax a bit before enjoying a catered dinner back at the ASF.

Wednesday the riders will leave the mountaintop and head north to Thacher State Park. Located in Albany County, Thacher State Park has. 25 miles worth of hiking and mountain biking trails and it boasts some incredible views of the Hudson-Mohawk Valleys and the Adirondack and Green Mountains. The WIM group is scheduled to arrive at the park by 10:30 a.m., where it will ride until 3 p.m. with a break for lunch in the middle. The ASF shuttle bus will take the participants back to Windham in time for them to wash up and relax a little bit before another dinner at the ASF lodge. 

The warriors will begin the month of August with a friendly competition. For the third-consecutive year, the riders will head to the Tannersville Bike Park and spend Thursday morning competing in a time-trial race on the downhill trail “Thriller”. The trail name lives up to the experience, as this provides the perfect way to end a mountain biking trip in Upstate New York. Once the contest is over, the participants will then head back into Windham and enjoy a lunch at the ASF lodge before they depart. 

“This program allows me to remain active, no matter the capacity that I’m able to function in at any given moment,” Garrad explained when asked about the importance of the ASF’s WIM program. “For example, if I’m not up for riding an upright bike, the ASF has the adaptive equipment such as e-bikes and hand cycles that I would need to keep enjoying the activity and myself. This program keeps me exercising, which keeps me healthy both physically and mentally.”  

Thanks to grants received and private donations, the ASF is able to provide equipment, water bottles, all meals, hotel rooms, snacks, water, sports drinks, sunscreen, bug spray, ponchos (if necessary) and maps, both digital and paper copies.

 

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

Ashland Speaks

By Lula Anderson

Ah retirement!  The days pass by and it seems like the summer is endless.  No, that is what I hope for.  In reality, I still have no time at all to do what has to be done.  I should have been able to get this written two days ago, but am hurrying to get this in by tomorrow's deadline.  I haven't been able to see my kitchen sink in quite a while, so that has to get done.  I have a dishwasher, but the dishes don't put themselves away.  Sheets are washed, but the bed needs to be remade.  The hurrier I go the more I get behind.  

Judy and Susan Hitchcock Neugebauer made their annual birthday trip to Albany to see Janet Hudecek.  While there Janet invited over a new resident who was related to the Steele family of Ashland.  His entire family is buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetary.  Most astonishing is that his father graduated from Windham School in 1914.  I had to opportunity to speak with him over the phone, and in October will be meeting with him and his family.  I am pulling out all the deeds that show his family's past holdings.  The Steele family owned all of the land across the street from my present house including the former Lawrence farm.  As, even he put it, the barn that is no longer there on the turn to Jewett was theirs, and all of the land going up Jewett Mountain where Larry Lawrence lived.  How small the world is., and how a chance encounter can bring out so much

The WAJPL Craft classes are going well.  There's still time to join us.  10 AM Tuesday mornings.  Our next meeting will be on August 5th with a visit from the Greene County Dept of Aging who will be discussing Vaccines—Not just for kids.  Join us for useful information and the programs that Greene County has for our Senior Citizens.  The representatives are always glad to take the time to speak with you about your needs.  The following meeting on August 19th will feature Dottie Pickett from Gilboa who has great post cards and information on the Gilboa Dam project and the drowned town of Gilboa.  Our meeting start at 1 pm at our Senior Meeting Room at the Ambulance building on the corner of South Street and 23 across from the Chicken Run.

Joy for the parish in Maplecrest and the pastor's family who welcome baby, Seth into the family.  Prayers and sympathy for the family of Janette Becker of Lexington and Carol Murry of Prattsville and for the Hitchcock family.  

AS I REMEMBER IT

Last week I gave the message at Mitchell Hollow about being baptized in the River Jordan.  I spoke about ponds that are murky, dirty and smell bad, and I thought about the ponds that the governmental powers that be had all farmers put in as a fire pond.  At that time, every third space was a farm, so there was a lot of digging and catching water.  We were lucky that we lived, and farmed, on the Batavia Kill, so didn't have to dig a pond.  If we continued to farm, we would now, no longer, be able to use the Kill water, and would have to fence it off so the cows don't "pollute" the water way.  Oh, the deer that use that path from the mountain to the creek are getting caught on the fencing and are dying.  At least the water isn't being used.  Progress?  We can be thankful that the Clifford Lawrence family did most of the digging, so our neighbors profited, but now we have so many man-made ponds in the middle of fields that are being overgrown by weeds and overgrowth, and wonder why they are there.   

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

Conservation Officer News

Great Horned Owl Set Free – Greene County

On June 26, ECO Palmateer responded to a complaint about a great horned owl stuck in a soccer net at the Ararat Youth and Conference Center in the town of Greenville. Officer Palmateer arrived at the location and discovered the owl entangled in the net and struggling to free itself. Utilizing a pair of scissors, he cut the net from around the bird, removed it safely, and transported it to Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center in the town of Hunter for a health evaluation. After about a week, the wildlife center informed ECO Palmateer that the owl was in good health and ready to be released. ECOs Palmateer and Smith brought the owl back to where it was originally rescued and released it back into its natural habitat. Video of the owl’s release can be seen on DEC's YouTube Channel.

Bicycle Crash – Greene County

On June 27, ECO Smith responded to a Greene County 911 call for an unconscious bicyclist with a serious head injury after a crash on North Lake Road in the town of Hunter. Officer Smith arrived at the location and observed two off-duty DEC employees of the North-South Lake Campground tending to the injured cyclist. The patient sustained several abrasions and a large laceration to the head. ECO Smith assisted the DEC employees in caring for the head wound. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived on scene, evaluated the patient, and transported him to an area hospital for further treatment. New York State Police, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, and Town of Hunter Police Department also responded.  

Attempted Rideshare Getaway – Greene County

A routine fishing compliance check in Greene County ended with a man facing several charges. On July 2, ECOs Smith and Palmateer observed a man and woman fishing along Catskill Creek in the town of Durham. The Officers ticketed the woman for failing to possess a valid New York State fishing license. The man did not have identification but provided a name and date of birth that came back to an active fishing license. ECOs attempting to confirm the male angler’s identity ran the license plate on a motorcycle in the parking lot and learned the plate was reported stolen to the Schodack Police Department and did not match the type of motorcycle at the location.  

ECOs contacted Schodack Police who reported a male subject matching the description of the fisherman recently fled from police during a pursuit. They also informed ECOs that the same individual violated the terms of his probation and had active bench warrants out of the towns of Schodack and East Greenbush. 

ECOs Smith and Palmateer returned to the creek to investigate further and discovered the subject fled on foot. They requested assistance from a Greene County Sheriff’s K-9 unit which responded immediately and helped the ECOs track the man through the woods to a waiting vehicle. The subject apparently ordered a rideshare for transportation out of the area.  

ECOs took the subject into custody, transported him to the New York State Police barracks in Greenville, and charged him with two counts of bail jumping, one count of criminal impersonation, one count of obstructing governmental administration, and fishing without a freshwater fishing license.  

Officers seized the motorcycle as evidence and turned the subject over to Schodack Police pursuant to his outstanding warrants. ECOs were assisted by the New York State Police, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, and the town of Durham Police Department.   

ECO Palmateer with a great horned owl rescued from a soccer net in Greene County 

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

Outdoors with Larry DiDonato - ECO Exam Now Open-Fee’s Waived by Governor Hochul

Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced the application period is now open for New York State’s entry-level law enforcement civil service exam. The exam is for interested, qualified applicants seeking a position throughout the state at the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the Office of State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the State University of New York (SUNY). Qualified candidates can apply online until 11:59 p.m. on August 14th 2024, to take the exam, scheduled for the fall. The difference for this NYS Civil Service Exam series is there is no cost to take the exam as all state exam application fees are waived through December, 2025.

There are approximately 150 entry-level law enforcement positions at DEC, State Parks, and SUNY anticipated statewide over the next year. The police series civil service exam is also used to fill positions in municipal police departments and sheriff's offices across the state. 

Those interested in becoming police officers in New York State must first meet the minimum qualifications for the title or titles of interest, and register for the civil service exam by submitting all the required information by August 14th by using this link here or by visiting the NYS Civil Service website at https://www.cs.ny.gov/police/.

The entry-level law enforcement exam is used to fill the following state titles:

• DEC - Environmental Conservation Police Officer Trainee 1 & Forest Ranger 1

• Parks - Park Police Officer Trainee

• SUNY - University Police Officer 1

To qualify to take the exam to become an Environmental Conservation Officer, you must have, or obtain the following experience/education:

Either:

 1: a bachelor's or higher-level degree; OR 

2: an associate degree; AND one of the following: 

a. one year of experience in the areas of environmental engineering or environmental technology, freshwater or marine sciences, wildlife sciences, or forestry; OR 

b. one year of experience as a police officer in New York State with Municipal Police Training Course certification (or equivalent course approved by the NYS Municipal Police Training Council). A certified Peace Officer Training course does not meet this requirement; OR 

c. one year of experience as a certified federal law enforcement officer; OR 

d. two years of active United States military service with an honorable discharge or under conditions in the New York State Restoration of Honor Act; OR 

3: three years of experience as a police officer in New York State with Municipal Police Training Course certification (or equivalent course approved by the NYS Municipal Police Training Council). *A Peace Officer Training course does not meet this requirement.

To take the Forest Ranger exam, you must have or obtain the following education/experience:

Either 

1: an associate or higher-level degree in aquatic biology, conservation biology, environmental biology, wildlife biology, environmental and natural resource conservation, environmental engineering, fisheries and fisheries sciences and management, fish and wildlife technology, aquatic and fisheries science, forestry, forest engineering, forest management, forest resource management, forest resources production and management, forest sciences and biology, forest technology, land surveying technology, natural resource management, natural resources management and policy, wildlife science, wildlife fish and wildlands science and management, or any other associate or higher-level degree program accredited by the Society of American Foresters; OR 

2: 60 college semester credit hours or higher including or supplemented by 24 college semester credit hours in coursework as described below; * OR 

3: two years of active United States military service with an honorable discharge or under conditions in the New York State Restoration of Honor Act AND two years of qualifying experience in forest management, fish and wildlife management, forest, fish, or wildlife interpretation in a wildland setting, or law enforcement in a park, forest, or wildland setting. **

ECO salaries start at $56,360.00. After a two-year traineeship their base salary becomes $70,404.00. Forest Rangers salaries begin at $59,298.00.

 The police series exam will also be used to fill positions in municipal police departments and sheriff's offices. Candidates interested in taking local examinations for municipal police departments and sheriff's offices should apply directly through their local civil service agency. 

A list of the local entry-level law enforcement examinations taking place is available using this link, here or by contacting the respective municipal civil service department.  

Applicants can view more campaign content and additional information, including a test guide to prepare applicants for the exam by going to the following NYS Civil Service website; https://www.cs.ny.gov/police/. 

On June 2, 2024 DEC began its 24th Basic School for Uniformed Officers with the newest class of Environmental Conservation Police Officer recruits. They are currently in the midst of their training at the academy in Pulaski, NY. 

DEC Forest Rangers are also in training at their academy which began on May 19th 2024 in Wanakena, NY.

Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “DEC's Environmental Conservation Police Officers and Forest Rangers serve on the front lines to protect New York's environment, natural resources, and communities, and through Governor Hochul’s support and leadership, we are growing our forces of the future. I encourage all eligible candidates to take the State’s entry-level law enforcement civil service exam and join the revered ranks of Forest Rangers and ECOs in our efforts to safeguard New Yorkers and our environment.”

 ECOs, originally called Game Protectors, were first appointed for service in 1880. The first Forest Rangers, originally known as Fire Wardens, were put into service in 1885 when the New York State Legislature established the Forest Preserve of New York State. ECO job duties are centered on the enforcement of New York State Environmental Conservation Law and range from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the black-market illegal wildlife and pet trade, emissions violations, plus all manner of environmental quality enforcement. They patrol the state on vessels of all sizes, ATVs, snowmobiles, and on foot. In 2023, ECOs and Investigators across the state responded to nearly 31,000 calls and worked on cases that resulted in nearly 16,900 tickets or arrests.

Forest Ranger duties focus on the public's use of DEC-administered State lands and easements and can span from patrolling State properties to conducting search-and-rescue operations to fighting wildland fires. In 2023, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 370 search and rescue missions, extinguished 146 wildfires, participated in 52 prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate more than 1,000 acres, and worked on cases that resulted in hundreds of tickets or arrests.

Happy Hunting, Fishing, and Trapping until next time!

News and Notes…

70th Annual Greene County Fair Opens in Cairo on Thursday, July 25th 

Come and help celebrate the homespun fair’s 70th Anniversary. It’s the only county fair that has free admission in NYS. Be sure to go to the Trade Tent and stop by “Conservation Corner.” That’s where the DEC Trout Tank is and biologists are around to answer wildlife questions across from the Greene County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs. That’s where 12-15-year-olds can sign-up for the free Youth Pheasant Hunt coming up in September. Slide down a bit and visit veteran hunter, Frank Algozine to learn everything you wanted to know about coyotes, and perhaps even some things you didn’t!

Norton Hill Wildlife Club’s 2024 Trap Shooting Schedule 

Trap shooting at Norton Hill Wildlife Club at 946 Big Woods Road in Greenville begins at 10:00 am on the following Sundays: July 28th, August 4th and 25th, and on September 15th and 29th.  Cost is just $5.00 per round. Bring your own ammo. Trap shooting is open to all; you don’t have to be a member to take advantage of this opportunity. 

Remember to report poaching violations by calling 1-844-DEC-ECOS.

  

  

 Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD

Out Lexington Way

By Christine Dwon

Lovely afternoon of fellowship spent at the home of Jane and Joe Concato in Lexington on July 20 for the first annual Hudson Heroes BBQ.  Jane and Joe are members of the Brain Injury Association of New York State and members of BIANJ while they lived in New Jersey.  Their passion is to assist those impacted by brain injury across the Mountain Top and throughout the Hudson Valley.  Guests were friends from New Jersey and here on the Mountain Top. The Hudson Heroes is the name of their team who “March on for Brain Injury” fundraising when many walk at the Walkway Over the Hudson.  Even though there was quite the downpour, that didn’t stop Joe from grilling up hamburgers and hot dogs and there was a bountiful table set with side dishes and desserts.  

Potluck Dinner Church Friday, July 26, 6 p.m. in the Ashland Community UMC, 12216 State Hwy 23, Ashland.  Come and enjoy a delicious meal and fellowship.  Invite a friend and join us.

Come one come all to the Thunder in the Mountains Car Show Saturday, July 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the grounds of the Lexington Municipal Building, 3542 Route 42, hosted by the West Kill-Lexington Community Improvement Association.   Breakfast sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers and beverages available for purchase.  There will be trophies, 1995 or newer will have their own class, over 50 beautiful gift baskets for raffle and a 50/50 raffle.  Lexington fFre/Rescue company will be there with the antique fire truck and a very special guest, Sparky the Fire Dog.  Fun for the whole family.  Proceeds benefit the WKLCIA.   Call Mary at 518-989-6813.

Sunday, July 28 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., under the Lexington pavilion, Bette Knapp will be remembered at a Celebration of Life with family and friends.  Please bring a covered dish to share.

Summer Sunday worship services will be held in the Methodist Church in West Kill, 65 Spruceton Road, West Kill at 9 a.m., July 28, Aug. 4, Aug. 11, Aug. 18.  All are welcomed.

The 70th Greene County Youth Fair is Thursday, July 25, Friday, July 26, Saturday, July 27, Sunday, July 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  There will be fireworks on Saturday night.  The Fair is held in Cairo at Angelo Canna Town Park, Joseph D. Spencer Lane.  Free admission.

Happy birthday to Nancy Kizyma on Friday, July 26.

July 26 is also Tina Albino’s birthday.

Sharon Becker’s birthday is Saturday, July 27.

July 27 Emmett Turk celebrates his birthday.

Wayne Thompson’s birthday is Tuesday, July 30.

July 30 is Louie Kizyma’s birthday.

Best wishes to everyone.

The Greene County Department of Human Services Senior Nutrition Program menu for the week of July 29 – Aug. 2 is as follows:  Monday—Meatball sub, Italian mixed vegetables, Italian pasta salad, blondies; Tuesday—Crab cake with lemon and dill aioli, spinach, rice pilaf, lemon mousse; Wednesday—French onion pork chop, Sonoma vegetable mix, buttered noodles, pears; Thursday—Roast pork loin with gravy and applesauce, mashed potatoes, green beans, watermelon; Friday—Chicken salad plate, mixed greens with cucumbers and tomatoes, macaroni salad, mixed berries with whipped topping.  All persons age 60 and older and spouses are invited to join for lunch.  Suggested donation is $4 per meal.  Congregate dining reservations are required at least a day in advance by noon by calling the appropriate centers.  The number to call for the Senior Service Center at the Jewett Municipal Building, Route 23C, Jewett is 518-263-4392.

Friday, Aug. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Mountain Top Library in Tannersville, the Greene Room Players Songbirds will have a free performance.

The Greene Room Players Songbirds will have another free musical performance at the Community Center, 5494 State Route 23, Windham with favorites from the 60s and the old standards on Saturday, Aug. 3 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Jewett Fire Department, Route 17, Jewett, is holding their annual Brooks Chicken BBQ on Saturday, Aug. 3 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  Takeouts, $15 includes chicken, baked potato, coleslaw, corn on the cob, roll, brownie.

Saturday, Aug. 3 is the Hunter Fire Company’s Block Party at the Hunter Firehouse, 17 Bridge Street, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.  Dj Frankieokie 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.; live music with The Lost Cowboys, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.; fun for the whole family, bouncy house, climbing wall, slide, foam machine and more. 

The next Lexington Farmers Market will be Saturday, Aug. 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The Western Catskills will have a table at the market with information on the Town of Lexington Housing Rehabilitation Grants.  The Town of Lexington is considering applying for a Community Development Block Grant to fund the rehabilitation of homes for its residents.  If you are a full-time resident in the Town of Lexington, if you have a sick-built home, do you need health and safety repairs on your home – come and talk to them.  They need your help to build a wait list.  If you can’t come to the Lexington Farmers Market on Aug. 3, you may call or email to get on the wait list – 607-652-2823 ext. 102 or info@westerncatskills.org; www.westerncatskills.org/programs/.

Wednesday, Aug. 7, 4 p.m. is the Lexington/West Kill UMC Administrative Council meeting in the Lexington church hall.

Thank you to all law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, dispatchers, healthcare providers, volunteers, veterans and actively serving military, farmers, truck drivers and so many more.

Prayers for all who are dealing with loss, illnesses, healing, difficulties, our country, our military and their families, the world.

Until next week take care, be thankful, be respectful, be safe and please be kind to one another.  Your act of kindness may change someone’s life.

Remember to Subscribe!

Subscription Options

One Year $50.00 USD Six Months $30.00 USD One Year with Insider Newsletter $75.00 USD