Concerts and Conversations: Music from America’s Gilded Age - Anthony Bonamici, Fortepianist

HUNTER – On Saturday, March 8 at 2:00 PM, pianist Anthony Bonamici will perform the music of John Knowles Paine in the intimate setting of the Piano Performance Museum at the Doctorow Center for the Arts in Hunter. 

Music from America’s Gilded Age includes: Sonata in A minor, op. 1, Vier Character-Stücke für Pianoforte, op. 11 and In the Country: Ten Sketches for Piano, op. 26, all of which were composed by John Knowles Paine, the first music professor in America. Originally from Maine, Paine was the first American-born composer to achieve fame for large-scale orchestral music. Paine’s music appreciation and music theory courses at Harvard became the model for departments of music in America. Paine served as a director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and began America’s symphonic tradition. He was also a founder of the American Guild of Organists. Paine was inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame in 1998.

Anthony Bonamici is an American pianist originally from Livonia, Michigan. Known for his decisive musical voice, emotional intensity, scrupulously crafted interpretations, and ability to connect intimately with his audiences, Anthony has performed at Carnegie Hall and the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in New York City, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and in many of Russia’s most famous concert halls including the Moscow Conservatory, the Great and Small Halls of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and the Mariinsky Theater Concert Hall. He has collaborated with vocal soloists of the Mariinsky Theater and Helikon Opera, and with members of the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, Russian Early Music Ensemble, Barocco Concertato, Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra, and The Moscow Virtuosi. He has presented lecture recitals for the Steinway Society of Michigan, the Westfield Center for Historical Keyboard Studies, the Ann Arbor Piano Teacher’s Guild, and has performed for the Chopin Society of Connecticut. 

Bonamici will perform at 2PM on Saturday, March 8 at the Piano Performance Museum at Doctorow Center for the Arts, 7971 Main Street, Hunter, NY. Enjoy the music, meet the artist and stay for the reception. Get tickets at www.catskillmtn.org. The concert is free but the suggested donation of $10 will help cover the ticket fees and support programs like this one.

About Catskill Mountain Foundation
The Catskill Mountain Foundation’s (CMF) aim is to provide educational opportunities in the arts for youth and lifelong learners, to bring the experience of the arts to the Catskill community, and to support artists and art organizations in the development of their work through residencies. Since its founding in 1998, CMF has presented hundreds of music, dance, and theater performances; screened over 1,000 films to tens of thousands of audience members; provided studio arts classes to thousands of students of all ages; and served thousands of art-loving patrons in the Catskill Mountain Foundation Gift Shop. The Catskill Mountain Foundation operates the Doctorow Center for the Arts in Hunter, the Orpheum Performing Arts Center in Tannersville, and the Sugar Maples Center for Creative Arts in Maplecrest, NY.

Since 1998, CMF has raised, generated, and invested close to $16 million in facility development and an excess of $42 million in programming operations, for a total investment in the Catskill community of over $58 million. 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. CMF believes that the arts can transform the lives of those touched by it and can transform the community. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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Ashland Speaks

By Lula Anderson

Welcome March!  First let me remind you to Spring ahead this weekend to Daylight Savings time.  We will be able to enjoy more time outside—if it ever warms up.  We've had a couple of teaser days, only to have it go back into the teens at night.  I hope the sap is running, although it hasn't really reached above freezing during the days even though we have flirted with it.  I want to go break a couple of branches to see how things are progressing.  I went out on Sunday, and the wind blew right through me, thought I was going to freeze.  Hopefully by the end of the month we will have outdoor weather again.

Signups for the WAJ Drama Club are still going on.  The Senior Citizen Dinner Theater/ dress rehearsal is Thursday March 13th.  If you don't sign up and show up, don't complain if they run out of food.  Call Opal at 518-750-8380. Keep in mind that we will be collecting donations for the Drama Club. 

On March 14th, the Windham Hensonville UMC will be holding its annual Corned Beef lunch.  The cost this year is $18 for Corned beef sandwich, chips, coleslaw, dessert and a drink.  Serving starts at 10:30.  

March 15th is an all you can eat breakfast at the Ashland Town Hall  benefit of the Ashland Historical Society.  Starts at 7:30 thru 11.  Save some room for the Annual Corned Beef Dinner at the Masonic Lodge in Windham in the afternoon.

This week starts the Lenten Season, starting with Ash Wednesday on March 5.  I'm sure you all know that means it's the start of Hensonville Hose Company's Friday Fish Fries.  Fish, clam strips or chicken tender dinners come with french fries or baked potato, coleslaw and a brownie.  $20,

March 30th is the fifth Sunday, which means the Mt Top Methodist Parishes will be having combined church services in Ashland starting at 9 AM.

Happy 60th birthday to Randy Sutton.

Prayers  and  sympathy to the family of Marilyn VanEttan McKracken (JoEllen's sister)

Get well wishes to Ray Benjamin.

AS I REMEMBER IT

Since I decided to forego rehab and come home from the hospital, my medical team wants me to be on bed rest.  I sit and wait for my food to arrive, I sit and wait for the therapist to come, and for the nurse.  I wait for my repairman to fix my hot water, and I sit and wait—----.  So I watch television.  On Saturday, I was watching the Incredible Pol Farm which follows Charles Pol and his family as they work to establish a farm on 350 acres of undeveloped land.  This segment was learning about bees, and making raised beds for their vegetable garden to prepare for spring.  Then they  made a large pond with a big rock for dangling feet in the water.  I became entranced by the large rock.  I must have fallen asleep because I was soon going back in time to when my sister and I had matching rocks way up on a hill on the farm.  Florence and I would bring our dolls and play by the hour.  Our rock was our home for the day.  We could sit and listen to the wind blowing through the grass and trees, hear the birds sing, and be in our own world.  

If you go to Hunter by Rt 17 in Jewett, you go to the bottom of the hill and on the left is a large rock sitting in the middle of a hay field.  When Jeanne and Clarence Soule lived there, there was always a path mowed to, and around it.  Picnics would be held on that rock, kids would sit and daydream on it.  In the '50's, it was a meeting place for Peggy, Judy and Janet.  

Along the creek in Jewett, are many large rocks, each one a perfect picnic place.  How many bologna sandwiches were eaten on those rocks?  How much KoolAid was consumed there?  Judy's sons always headed right for the creek when they came up to visit Grandma and PaPa.  After Anthony married, his wife always let him go to the creek alone until one day she was invited to go.  It was then that she found "The Rock".  As she sat there, she realized what the attraction was.  The Hudecek family has made a tradition of pictures on the rock as the girls (3rd generation now) grew up.  

On Tuesday mornings, WRIP does a fitness segment with Gerard Friedman from Bellhouse Fitness.  The past two weeks they have been talking about Mindfulness and relaxation methods.  One way to relax is put yourself into your "Happy Place".  Is there anything more relaxing than picturing yourself in the middle of a field, or creek, perched on a huge rock, just listening? 

 

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Outdoors with Larry DiDonato - DEC Releases Hunting Safety Statistics for 2024-25

Greene County ECO Lucas Palmateer, (right), is pictured here receiving a Captain's Commendation in January from DEC Police Captain Tom Caifa, (left). He was presented the award in recognition of his outstanding efforts in creating a Youth Turkey Hunting Program in Greene County. ECO Palmateer is once again coordinating the now annual event, which will take place at the Norton Hill Wildlife Club in Greeneville this April.

Second Safest Season on Record in New York State
  The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the 2024-25 hunting season as the second safest on record. DEC released its annual report documenting 11 hunting-related shooting incidents (HRSIs) for this past hunting season. Only 2021 and 2022 had less HRSIs with 9 for each of those years. The HRSI numbers for 2024-25 are consistent with low incident rates observed across the state in recent years. DEC noted, “Hunting-related incidents are preventable when hunters follow safe and legal hunting practices and proper tree-stand safety measures.” If you would like further details for each HRSI you can go to https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2025-02/dechrsisummary24.pdf  or use the link, Hunting Safety Statistics.
 This year’s safe season is great news, but not it’s not at all surprising to see hunting continues to enjoy a stellar safety record. It’s been a safe, enjoyable, outdoor activity for some time. New York attributes the success to its strong Hunter Education Program, which continues to be exceptional thanks to the years of dedicated service from the more than 1500 certified volunteer instructors who teach in-person classes. Online-only courses have also been made available. Hunters adhering to regulations, requirements, and firearm safety, allow hunting to be a safe and enjoyable activity for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and visitors each year.
 “All first-time hunters, bowhunters, and trappers are required to successfully complete a hunter or trapper safety course and pass the final exam before being eligible to purchase a hunting or trapping license. These additional efforts to increase public awareness about hunting safety have resulted in a sharp decrease in hunting-related incidents from decades ago.”
 The safest demographic in terms of age remain youth hunters aged 12-15. That stands as a testament to the quality of New York’s hunter safety instruction. It sets the stage for the future of hunting in New York to continue to safely connect both kids and adults to nature and the outdoors.
 The benefits of hunting are many. Chief among them is getting out in the fresh air while getting exercise and enjoying the beauty of the natural world.  Whether you’re working dogs pursuing rabbits, pheasants, or grouse, getting in a canoe to paddle out to a duck blind or to do some jump-shooting, or sitting on watch for deer or turkeys, there’s benefits whether or not you harvest any game. It gives you time away from screens and the constant demands of modern life. It allows you to reflect, and to focus on every element of the natural habitat and inhabitants of your chosen hunting environ. Time spent hunting is a success whether or not you bring meat home for the table.
 While nearly all hunting seasons have closed by the end of February, it’s a good time to get ready for the upcoming spring turkey season. If you’re thinking about getting your license for the first time, now is the perfect time to search for classes. Go to the website, https://www.register-ed.com/programs/new_york/165 to find an in-person, certified hunter safety class near you.
 The Spring Youth Turkey Season is just weeks away, scheduled for the weekend of April 26th and 27th. Eligible youth hunters, 12–15 years of age who hold a Junior Hunting License and a Turkey Permit can hunt one week before the regular season which opens on May 1st  closing on May 31st.
All youth hunters must be accompanied by an adult holding a current hunting license and Turkey Permit. Parents/Mentors may assist the youth hunter (including calling), but may not carry a firearm.
 In Greene County, at the impetus of ECO Lucas Palmateer in conjunction with the Norton Hill Wildlife Club, the New York Conservation Officer’s Association (NYCOA), and the Northern Catskills Longbeards Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, (NWTF) is once again holding the Second Annual Youth Turkey Hunt on Saturday, April 26th 2025. That program includes a prerequisite safety briefing and shotgun patterning session at Norton Hill’s Range. Parents/mentors must be present at the safety briefing and when youth are taken afield turkey hunting on the Saturday of the youth turkey opener. After the hunt, all are invited to get together at the Norton Hill Wildlife Club in Greenville for a barbeque and to share stories of the harvests of the hunt and “the ones that got away.” Many county sportsmen’s organizations across the state also hold mentored Youth Turkey Hunts during the spring youth hunting weekend.
Happy hunting, fishing and trapping until next time!
News and Notes
The Ducks Unlimited Greene County Chapter Banquet is on Saturday March 8th  
There are still some tickets available for the Greene County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited Annual Banquet, Dinner and Auction on Saturday, March 8th at Anthony’s Banquet Hall located at 746 County Route 23B in Leeds. Doors open at 3:30 pm with buffet dinner starting at 5:00 pm, followed by a live auction. Formed by concerned waterfowl hunters in Sullivan County, NY in 1937, “DU” has conserved more than 19 million acres of wetlands and grasslands that provide essential habitat for breeding, migrating, and wintering waterfowl. So, this event is not only a for a good cause, it’s a good time. There will be lots of opportunities to win great prizes including firearms, gear, and unique home décor items.
Tickets are available online at www.ducks.org/newyork/events. For more information, you can call Dana Hanusik at 518-821-1773 or Jeff Holiday at 518-965-6105.
Remember to report poaching violations by calling the 24-hour ECO Dispatch at:
1-844-DEC-ECOS.

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Decker Funeral Home in Windham has New Owners

Pictured from left- Scott Zielonko and Jennifer McKeon along with John Gulino.

By Andrea Macko, Porcupine Soup

WINDHAM―After three decades of compassionately serving families during their most difficult times, John Gulino is passing the torch of Decker Funeral Home.

Scott Zielonko and Jennifer McKeon of A.J. Cunningham Funeral Home in Greenville officially became the new owners in Windham on February 26, bringing with them more than 40 years of combined experience.

Zielonko is a licensed funeral director and the current owner of A.J. Cunningham where McKeon is also a licensed funeral director.

Gulino said he took great care in choosing Zielonko and McKeon and they share his commitment to the core values of the funeral home.

“They are unbelievable professionals,” Gulino said, noting the knowledge, honesty, and compassion both Zielonko and McKeon bring to the business.

A native of Staten Island, Gulino has been licensed since 1983 and has owned three funeral homes. He was familiar with Windham―having come to the mountain skiing on occasion―but it was in 1995 that business brought him to the snowy town.

A woman in Staten Island had passed away and her family requested burial on their land on Begley Road in Windham. Gulino made the trip north and met Fredrick Decker, the second-generation owner whose late father Lee founded Decker Funeral Home in 1952.

Fredrick was contemplating retirement and wanted to find a successor who would carry on the funeral home’s legacy.

“That was in December of 1995,” said Gulino. “Next thing I know, we closed on the business a few months later.”

For any funeral director, the job requires a lot of responsibility. They manage all aspects of a funeral service, including coordinating with the family to plan the ceremony, embalming and preparing the deceased for viewing if necessary, handling legal paperwork, arranging transportation, selecting caskets or urns, and providing emotional support during a grueling time.

“You have to be a good listener,” Gulino said simply in a sentiment echoed by Zielonko and McKeon.

Zielonko, who was raised in Watervliet, attended Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) for mortuary science and became licensed in 1983. He has worked at funeral homes in Albany, Troy, Watervliet, and Ravena and came to A.J. Cunningham in 2008. He purchased the business from Curt Cunningham in 2016.

Zielonko is also a member of the Capital District and New York State Funeral Directors Associations.

“He is one of the most caring individuals you will ever meet,” noted Gulino.

McKeon is a Greene County native who spent 18 years working as a nurse. But the tragic death of a friend’s young daughter inspired her to pursue a new career to help grieving families and ensure their loved ones receive the best possible final arrangements.

McKeon went back to college for mortuary science at the age of 44, graduating from HVCC and becoming licensed in 2022. She specializes in cosmetics and reconstruction.

Together, alongside Gulino during the transition, Zielonko and McKeon say they are poised to continue serving mountaintop families with the highest standard of professionalism and empathy.

“Families come to us in the worst times of their lives,” McKeon said.

“The people we care for are someone’s mother, grandparent, sister, or child,” added Zielonko.

Over the last 30 years, Gulino has gotten to know countless families and said that while he is stepping back from the day-to-day operations of the funeral home, he will be there for support.

“I’m still going to be around,” Gulino said. “I want this to be a smooth transition for the community.”

“We are blessed that he is willing to stay on,” McKeon added.

And while ownership has changed, the sign will not.

“It is staying Decker Funeral Home,” said Zielonko. “We are not changing the name.”

 

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LEGISLATURE STUFF- A Call to End the HALT

 

By Michael Ryan
CATSKILL - They have not been legally involved in the Correction Officers strike in New York State prisons but Greene County Legislature members say they are directly involved, making their collective voice heard.
Lawmakers, during a special meeting on Wednesday night, approved a resolution calling on State government officials to repeal the HALT Act which jail workers say rests at the heart of their walkout.
CO’s in lockups across the State began leaving their posts in mid-February,    joined by fellow officers in Coxsackie and Greene, citing unsafe conditions and debilitating shortages of personnel, resulting in worker burnout.
An agreement between the State and New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) was hammered out, late last week, to mixed reactions.
Left on the table was the Humane Alternatives for Long Term (HALT) Solitary Confinement Act, enacted in 2022 in every State facility.
HALT limits or prohibits the use of solitary confinement, a method of control seen as inhumane by supporters. CO’s say HALT shackles their ability to effectively curtail bad behavior.
According to NYSCOPBA, a record-setting 2,072 assaults on staff and an all-time high of 2,983 inmate-on-inmate assaults occurred, last year.
As part of the agreement between the State and NYSCOPBA), and under the circumstances, a temporary cessation of certain aspects of the HALT restrictions will be in place for 90 days.
That doesn’t go far enough for county lawmakers, with legislature chairman Patrick Linger saying, in an interview, “we’ve been getting many phone calls from family members of Corrections Officers.
“We’re being told of officers going to work and not being let to go home, being there 96 straight hours,” Linger said.
“The National Guard has been called in but they aren’t trained for this kind of duty. It makes it even more dangerous for them,” Linger said.
“Families who are closely involved are asking if there is anything we can do to help out,” Linger said, prompting the HALT-related resolution.
The resolution states, in part, “the HALT Act essentially eliminates any meaningful disciplinary sanctions for inmates who commit violent acts.
“Convicted murderers, career violent criminals, and other dangerous inmates already serving life sentences in particular now have virtually no significant disincentive to commit violent acts while incarcerated.
“By eliminating serious disciplinary sanctions for violent acts committed by
inmates in NYS correctional facilities, the HALT Act has effectively incentivized such violent acts,” the resolution states.
“The HALT Act has thereby contributed to an increasingly violent environment within NYS correctional facilities, thereby endangering the Correction Officers, civilian staff and inmates within such facilities.
“Even prior to the enactment of the HALT Act, confinement to the SHU did not constitute true “solitary confinement,” and could only be imposed subject to significant procedural safeguards, including notice and a hearing,” the resolution states.
“Even prior to the enactment of the HALT Act, inmates confined to SHU had access to outdoor recreation, personal visits, and commissary.
“The HALT Act prohibits segregated confinement for "special populations”, if the inmate is 21 years or younger, which is typically the most unpredictable and violent population,” the resolution states.
Therefore,”the Greene County Legislature calls upon the New York State Legislature and the Governor to enact immediately legislation repealing S.2836, known as the HALT Act.”
Further, the measure calls for, “restoring the prior inmate disciplinary framework, which provided for meaningful disciplinary sanctions to deter
violent conduct by inmates, while also respecting inmates’ procedural and personal rights.”
Lawmaker Michael Bulich (District 1, Catskill) staunchly supported the local resolution, saying, “it’s about time we put law and order first and not the criminals.
“It’s one thing to give people due process, but once they’re convicted of a crime we have to protect the people working in these prisons and make sure they have what they need to do their jobs.”
Questioning decision-making at the State level that initially led to the HALT constrictions, Bulich says, ‘in matters like this you have to think with your head. It’s trouble if you think with your heart.
Having heard from the constituency, Bulich says, “in general, the people who have talked to me, and people I know, are just disgusted with the whole situation, and this is the tip of the iceberg.”
 

 

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Out Lexington Way

Congratulations to the Town of Lexington Fire/Rescue Company on the arrival of their new 2025 Kenworth Tanker on Feb. 28.

By Christine Dwon

Congratulations to the Town of Lexington Fire/Rescue Company on the arrival of a new 2025 Kenworth Tanker, 2000 gallons of water, 1500gpm pump on Feb. 28.  Thank you to our local volunteers for all their commitment, devotion, training, being there for all of us 24/7.  You are all heroes and we can’t thank you enough for everything you do.

Hunter-Tannersville Middle/High School Theater Department presents, “Disney Beauty and the Beast, Jr.” on Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, March 8 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the HTC Middle/High School, Main Street, Tannersville.  Admission is $10 adults, $8 students and seniors.  No reserved seating or pre-sale.  Door opens 30 minutes prior to show time-- htctheater@htcschools.org, 518-589-5400 X6206.

The Town of Lexington Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary does not meet in the month of March.  Next meeting will be in April.

Happy birthday to Carol Constable on Friday, March 7.

March 7 is also Michael Barcone’s birthday.

Glenn Ralph Hapeman’s birthday is March 7.

Saturday, March 8 is Brian Wilson’s birthday.

Happy birthday to Katelyn Dwon on Tuesday, March 11. 

Olivia Dwon celebrates her 5th birthday on Wednesday, March 12.

Best wishes to everyone.

Second Tuesday of the month (March 11) at 10:30 a.m. is the Coffee Klatch at the Hunter Public Library, 7965 Main Street with light refreshments.  

The Soup and Fellowship Kitchen is Tuesday, March 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Blue Room at the Kaaterskill UMC, 5942 Main Street, Tannersville.  Come and join the fellowship, a free bowl of soup and sandwich.  Everyone welcome.

Lexington/West Kill UMC Administrative Council will meet on Wednesday, March 12 at 4:30 p.m. in the church hall.

Hunter-Tannersville CSD Pre-K and Kindergarten registration is until March 14.  Packets are available for pick up at Hunter Elementary school or the Middle/High school.  Once completed, schedule an appointment with Krystal Fromer, 518-589-5400 X6110 or kfromer@htcschools.org.  Pre-K children must turn four years of age on or before Dec. 1, 2025.  Kindergarten children must turn five years of age on or before Dec. 1, 2025. Screening dates to be determined.

Saturday, March 15 starting at 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. is an All You Can Eat Breakfast at 12094 Route 23, Ashland hosted by the Ashland Fire Department.  This breakfast is to benefit the Ashland Fire Department’s 100th Celebration in 2026.  Eat in or take out for a free will offering.  Lots of great food.

The Greene County Senior Nutrition Program menu for the week of March 10 – March 14 is as follows:  Monday— Beef chili, mixed vegetables, brown rice, pears; Tuesday—Tortellini Alfredo with chicken, Sonoma vegetables, peaches and cream; Wednesday—Pork chop with gravy, applesauce, sweet potato, peas, apple crisp; Thursday—Meatball sub, Italian mixed vegetables, Italian pasta salad, fresh fruit; Friday—Beer battered fish, cabbage slaw, broccoli, baked potato, fresh fruit.  All persons 60 and older and spouses, are invited to attend.  Congregate meals served at noon Monday through Friday.  Suggested donations $4 per meal.  Congregate dining reservations are required by noon at least a day in advance.  If you reserve a meal and are unable to attend, please call as soon as you can to cancel.  This helps reduce our food waste.  If you have food allergy, please notify us.  Allergen information is available for prepared food items.  The number to call for the Senior Service Center at the Jewett Municipal Building, Route 23C, Jewett, is 518-263-4392.

There is a Veterans Coffee Hour at the Cairo Town Public Library, 15 Railroad Ave, on Mondays at 10:30 a.m.  You can contact Arin Van Demark at 518-719-0020 or Arin.Vandemark@hvncvr.org.

Every Tuesday at 1 p.m., Vet2Vet Greene County has a Veterans and Family Support Group at 905 Greene County Building, Cairo.  For more info please call 518-719-0020 or elaina.tysdal@hvncvr.org.

Are you prepared for an emergency?  You are invited to attend an informational program sponsored by the Greene County Department Human Services and Greene County Public Health on Thursday, April 3 at the Jewett Nutrition site in the Jewett Municipal Building.  Session begins at 10 a.m.  Learn how to prepare a disaster supply kit and what to do to stop bleeding in a severely injured person.  If interested, please call the center at least a day in advance to register, 518-263-4392.  After the session, stay and have lunch at the site.

Saturday, April 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. come on over to the Blenheim-Gilboa Visitors Center, 1378 Route 30, North Blenheim, for the Spring Eggstravaganza.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed on Saturday, March 8 because Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 9.

First day of Spring on the calendar is only a couple of weeks away. The flowers and trees will be budding, the birds will be singing and building their nests, the weather will be warm, grass will be green, lawnmowers ready.  Somewhere.  Probably not here.

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.

 

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Sgt. James F. Carty, DSC VFW Post 1545

I want to inform everyone that the VFW breakfast scheduled for March 16th has been canceled. The Windham Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a pancake breakfast that day, and we do not want to create any conflicts with their event. 

The Chamber's breakfast will take place at Christman’s Windham House from 9 AM to 12 PM, and it is ALWAYS good!

However, we are planning to hold our pancake breakfast on Sunday, March 30th, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.. More details on that will be shared next week.

Additionally, the VFW conference in Washington, D.C., is currently underway through March 6th. This event brings hundreds of attendees together to ensure that veterans' voices are heard on Capitol Hill.

VFW National Legislative Committee members will lead delegations, including the 2024/2025 VFW-SVA Fellows, to present our legislative priorities to Congress and its staff.

VFW National Commander Al Lipphardt was set to testify before a joint hearing of the Senate and House Committees on Veterans' Affairs on Tuesday, March 4th.

VFW National Legislative Director Patrick Murray recently testified before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs regarding several pieces of pending legislation.

These include bills aimed at streamlining the VA’s firing authority, improving community care, securing Second Amendment protections for veterans with fiduciaries, and restoring education benefits. 

On the recent mass firing of VA employees, Murray stated, “Members of this committee often say the VA needs to weed out bad actors, but the dismissal of thousands of employees wasn’t warranted—it was just easier to do.”

He also emphasized, “While the fiduciary issue affects a small percentage of veterans, every veteran deserves protection of their constitutional rights.”

I share this information to highlight the ongoing work of the VFW in fighting for our benefits and rights.

This is a key reason to consider joining the VFW—more members mean more power when advocating for these important issues in Congress.

Lastly, this Saturday, our District 3 VFW will be holding a meeting to discuss district business. I will share any updates from that meeting next week, including the winners of the essay contests, which will be announced at the Gold Chevron dinner.

This week’s POW/MIA report shows the extent that the Defense POW/MIA Agency goes to bring back lost warriors. They announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Herbert G. Tennyson, 24, of Wichita, Kansas, killed during World War II, was accounted for on Sept. 25, 2024.

In March 1944, Tennyson was assigned to the 320th Bombardment Squadron, 90th Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force and deployed in present day Papua New Guinea. On the morning of March 11, Tennyson, the pilot onboard a B-24D “Liberator” Heaven Can Wait departed Nadzab Strip #1, Papua New Guinea, as part of a bombing mission against enemy positions at Boram Airfield, and Awar Point, Hansa Bay, located along the northern coast of New Guinea. Observers from other aircraft in the formation reported seeing flames erupting from the bomb bay, spreading to the tail quickly. Heaven Can Wait was seen pitching up violently before banking left and crashing down into the water. It is believed anti-aircraft fire hit the plane, causing an un-dropped ordnance to explode. Several aircraft circled the crash site in hopes of locating any possible survivors, but none could be seen.

From March 9 through April 13, 2023, an underwater recovery team (RT-U) excavated the crash site, where they recovered possible osseous materials and material evidence, to include life support equipment and identification tags. The recovered evidence was sent to the DPAA Laboratory for review and analysis. Tennyson will be buried in Wichita, Kansas, on a date yet to be determined.

To the family of 1st Lt. Tennyson, they will be able to honor his service and sacrifice to our Nation. Along with them let us all honor him and all who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Keep our still serving men and women along with all the veterans who served, in your thoughts and prayers. God Bless America. Keep us safe and united. 

Marc Farmilette – Past Commander Post 1545

 

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Unintended Legislative Oversight Remedied in Windham

By Michael Ryan

WINDHAM - An unintended legislative oversight has been remedied related to a tax exemption for volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel in Windham and elsewhere.

Town council members, at a meeting last week, adopted an amendment to a previously enacted law aimed at encouraging firefighting and rescue personnel to join the ranks and remain in service.

The change mirrors actions taken by the county legislature along with many other municipalities, addressing a reality of small town living wherein community service boundaries overlap.

New wording has been added to legislation initially enacted in 2023 that provides real property tax breaks for firefighters and rescue workers. 

That measure established an exemption for “real property owned by an enrolled member of an incorporated volunteer fire company, fire department or incorporated voluntary ambulance service or such

enrolled member and spouse residing in the County of Greene.”

Those individuals, if meeting certain criteria, “shall be exempt from taxation to the extent of 10 percent of the assessed value of such property for county purposes, exclusive of special assessments,” the measure stated.

“Such exemption shall only be granted… if the applicant resides in the County of Greene and is a member of an incorporated volunteer fire company or fire department or incorporated voluntary ambulance service which provides service within the city, village, town or school district,” the measure stated.

Fresh language was deemed necessary after it was acknowledged not everyone lives in the community in which they serve, not a rare rural occurrence.

The amended wording is the same in declaring an applicant could be eligible for the exemption if that person resides in Greene County.

A significant difference will henceforth be that person may provide service within their own city, village, town or school district or “a neighboring city, village, town county or school district.”

Windham town council members held a public hearing on the matter earlier this winter, where no objections to the modification were voiced.

They then waited for the county to host similar hearings which unfolded in mid-February, likewise passing muster minus any opposition.

“We wanted to be on the same page as the county so this would potentially help everyone who’s eligible,” town supervisor Thomas Hoyt said.

Windham councilman Stephen Walker, expressing a professional and personal thought, said, “we want [firefighters and emergency medical workers] to know we appreciate what they do” whenever summoned.

The original law states that government leaders find and determine that “attracting and retaining quality volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel is one of the most critical problems facing a number of communities in Greene County.

“Maintaining effective emergency protection depends on the ability to train and retain volunteers,” the original law states

“It is essential for the county and its municipalities to provide real property tax exemptions as an incentive to attract new volunteers and help combat a persistent and alarming decline in the number of volunteers serving as active responders to fire and medical emergencies,” the law states.

“Unless recruits are found to replace retiring volunteers, and seasoned members are encouraged to continue their volunteer service, the health and safety of citizens served by the volunteer firefighter and emergency medical personnel corps may be jeopardized,” the law states.

The original law further stated that the county and its municipalities find and determine that, “real property tax exemptions are an appropriate way to recognize the personal sacrifices and dedication of these community-spirited men and women.”

Those women and men, “unselfishly give their time, and risk their safety to protect their neighbors without compensation,” the original law states.

Offering greater detail, the State Department of Taxation and Finance, on its website, states the exemption is, “valid only on property used exclusively for residential purposes.

“If a portion of a volunteer’s property is used for other purposes, the exemption would be prorated accordingly,” the website states.

“In order to be eligible for this partial exemption, volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers must meet a minimum service requirement of between two and five years, as set by the respective taxing jurisdiction,” the website states.

“Additionally, at local option, a lifetime exemption may be provided to volunteers with at least 20 years of service as long as they maintain their primary residence in the county they have served.

“Taxing jurisdictions may also allow un-remarried surviving spouses of eligible volunteers to retain the exemption,” the website states.

 

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