Sgt. James F. Carty, DSC VFW Post 1545

As we head into August, we’ve officially entered that time of year when we all start saying, “It’s just too hot!” 

After a stretch of 90-plus-degree days, it’s definitely time to embrace summer—whether that means hitting the golf course, jumping in the pool, firing up the BBQ or just soaking in the sunshine.

One fun way to enjoy a summer evening is by joining us for Bingo Night at the VFW Post on Thursday, August 7, at 6 p.m. It’s a great way to beat the heat, relax and connect with the community.

This week, I’d like to share some important updates that could benefit many veterans—especially those who aren’t members of veteran’s organizations like the VFW and may not be aware of everything available to them.

Legislative Win for Transitioning Veterans: We're proud to report that one of the VFW’s top legislative priorities, the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Promotion Act – H.R. 1845, has been included in Section 551 of the House draft of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026.

This would ensure that all transitioning service members have access to VA-accredited representatives—including those from counties, states and Veterans Service Organizations like the VFW. We urge Congress to keep this vital provision in the final version of the NDAA.

2025 VA Healthcare Summit Highlights: VFW staff attended the VA 2025 Healthcare Summit in Washington, D.C., where important updates were shared regarding the future of veteran care.

Key focuses included: Improving mental health services, Expanding telehealth access, using digital tools and AI to better serve veterans, especially in rural or underserved areas, and reducing wait times and streamlining the claims process

VFW National Legislative Associate Director Meggan Coleman said it best:

“We were thrilled to learn about innovative approaches to address the unique challenges VA faces in delivering timely, high-quality health care across the nation.”

Temporary Expanded Burial Benefit:  In line with the Dole Act, the VA has announced a temporary expansion of burial benefits for certain veterans. Those discharged from VA medical or nursing care to VA-provided home hospice, who pass away between July 1, 2025, and October 1, 2026, may now qualify for a full burial allowance.

This closes a long-standing gap that left many families without adequate support. It also allows veterans to spend their final days at home, surrounded by loved ones, without added financial stress.

On a personal note, my father-in-law was on hospice before he passed. Being home with family and friends brought him great comfort—and I know many families will benefit from this compassionate change. 

If you or someone you know could use help navigating any of these benefits, please don’t hesitate to reach out. That’s what the VFW is here for.

Stay cool, enjoy the rest of your summer—and we hope to see you at Bingo!

This week I would like to honor a Vietnam Medal of Honor recipient. His name is David Charles Dolby, nicknamed “Mad Dog”. Born May 14, 1946.

Dolby joined the Army from Philadelphia at age 18, and by May 21, 1966, was serving in the Republic of Vietnam as a specialist four with Company B, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).

On that day, his platoon came under heavy fire which killed six soldiers and wounded a number of others, including the platoon leader. Throughout the ensuing four-hour battle, Dolby led his platoon in its defense, organized the extraction of the wounded and directed artillery fire despite close-range attacks from enemy snipers and automatic weapons. 

He single-handedly attacked the hostile positions and silenced three machine guns, allowing a friendly force to execute a flank attack.

Dolby was subsequently promoted to sergeant and awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.[2] The medal was formally presented to him by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 28, 1967. 

In addition to the 1965–66 tour in which he earned the Medal of Honor, Dolby did four more tours in Vietnam. In 1967 he served there with the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, in 1969 with C Company (Ranger), 75th Infantry (Airborne), First Field Force Vietnam, in 1970 as an Adviser to the Vietnamese Rangers, and in 1971 as an Adviser to the Royal Cambodian Army.[5]

He left the Army that same year with the rank of staff sergeant. Dolby died at age 64 on the morning of August 6, 2010, while visiting Spirit Lake, Idaho, for a veterans' gathering. Dolby died in his sleep and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Keep all who served our country in your prayers along with those still serving. God Bless America. 

Marc Farmilette, PDC – VFW Post 1545 Commander

 

David C. Dolby

 

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71st ANNUAL GREENE COUNTY YOUTH FAIR - Rural Resplendence in Late July

The great-grandsons of Youth Fair founder Alfred Partridge (left to right) John and Tommy McGuinness, kid around with two other kids. Partridge organized a small Blue Ribbon 4-H Club festival in 1949 at the Sutton Hollow School in the mountaintop town of Ashland, seeing it blossom into a 4-day celebration of agriculture attended by thousands, the last free admission fair in New York.

Peaceful easy feeling for Markus Pecylak of Greenville, daydreaming with his Holstein companion “Star” as the Greene County Youth Fair, held every July, celebrated its 71st summer, last week, at Angelo Canna Park in Cairo. 

Pastoral strength and youthful innocence blended in Riley Miliner who came to the Youth Fair with her white-crested duck “Goo Goo.”

Looking every which-way, “it wasn’t us,” claimed Raelyn, Elsie and Clayton (left to right), even while offering no credible other explanation for how poor little Logan got covered in corn.

Hugh Heifer and Peggy (left to right) play hide-and-seek but they aren’t very hard to find for Lieve Story, the latest generation of the well-known Story Farm family out along Route 32 between Catskill and Palenville.

 

Face-painted “Mirror Reflection Boy,” preserving his secret identity and summoning his inner super powers, prepares to save the day…again.

 

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BETTER THAN HEARSAY - No Rain but Plenty of Thunder

A lot of hardware was handed out at Thunder in the Mountains including trophies in eleven specialty classes such as Best in Show, President’s Choice, People’s Choice and Best Convertible. “People enjoy seeing their car recognized,” says event co-organizer Glenn Howard. 

“Yo, where is the Fonz?” It wasn’t, but this ’32 souped up Ford, hand built by Mike Pushman, could have been tooling around town in “Happy Days.”

Thunder in the Mountains car show, held on the grounds of the Kenneth Becker Municipal Building, serves as a fundraiser for the West Kill Community Center. Helping the cause were event co-organizer Mary Palazzolo (left) and volunteer Glenda Lauten.

Rosalie Randolph put a lot of miles on her white-booted tootsies to help the cause, selling raffle tickets. 

 

Best “Old Pickup” takes respite under the trees after decades of loyal labor.

Is any show complete without a Ford Mustang ready to saddle up?

By Michael Ryan

LEXINGTON - There has been hardly any rain in these thar’ hills, this summer, but the “Thunder in the Mountains” car show still rumbled.

Owners of over 50 cars, trucks and what-have-you’s braved the late July heat, last Saturday, according to event co-organizer Glenn Howard.

They travelled short and long distances to visually share their “beauties” and verbally swap tales about finding them and fixing them up.

The event was founded 16 years ago by Howard and Tim Barcone, serving as an important fundraiser for the West Kill Community Center.

A lot of hardware was handed out, awarding trophies in multiple classes and categories, more than in many other shows.

But, “people enjoy seeing their car recognized and we like to let them know we appreciate their effort,” Howard says.

Howard enters his own potential winner without ever taking home a prize, saying, “this is about everyone else, not this guy.”

“Thunder in the Mountains” is held on the grounds of the Kenneth Becker Municipal Building along Route 42 in the town of Lexington (photographs courtesy of Mary Palazzolo and Billy Pushman).

 

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ACCLAIMED SINGER-SONGWRITER JOHN MORELAND TO PERFORM AT THE ROXBURY ARTS CENTER

ROXBURY –  Roxbury Arts Group presents An Evening with John Moreland on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at the Roxbury Arts Center, 5025 Vega Mountain Road, Roxbury.   The performance marks a significant return to touring for the Tulsa-based singer-songwriter following a transformative year-long hiatus focused on healing and creative renewal.  Further information and to reserve your tickets with Tiered Equity Pricing visit us at  www.roxburyartsgroup.org or by calling 607-326-7908. 

"John Moreland represents the kind of authentic artistry that resonates deeply," said Roxbury Arts Group Executive Director, Jenny Rosenzweig. "His willingness to step away from the industry to prioritize his wellbeing and then return with such profound creative clarity makes this performance particularly meaningful."

Moreland rose to prominence in the 2010s with a string of raw, emotionally resonant albums that positioned him as a singular voice in contemporary songwriting. Acclaimed by The New York Times, Fresh Air, and Pitchfork, his early work including "In The Throes" and "High on Tulsa Heat" was marked by a stripped-down, heart-on-sleeve approach that earned him a devoted following and established his reputation for songwriting that "hits straight to the gut."

In the 2020s, Moreland continued to defy expectations, first with "Birds in the Ceiling" (2022), a bold exploration of folk-electronica that examined themes of alienation and digital fatigue. Then, in a move both personal and radical, he stepped away from touring entirely, turned off his smartphone, and took a full year to rest, reflect, and reconnect with his creative core.

The result of this intentional pause is "Visitor" (2024), a return to Moreland's roots in both sound and spirit. Recorded at home over ten days with minimal collaborators, the album blends folk-rock immediacy with quietly devastating insights on disconnection, healing, and resilience. While his signature lyricism remains intact, there's a hard-won clarity to these songs—a deep wisdom gained through his year of healing and self-connection.

The album showcases Moreland's evolution as both artist and person, with subtle moments that reveal profound truths. As he explores the dichotomy between those who "say" and those who "know," Moreland positions himself firmly among the latter—committed to the pursuit of truth and wisdom, speaking only when he has something genuine to offer.

This rare performance offers audiences the opportunity to experience Moreland's most personal and reflective work in an intimate setting, as he continues to cement his place among the great singer-songwriters of his generation. Tickets and information available at www.roxburyartsgroup.org or by calling 607.326.7908.

All programs offered by the Roxbury Arts Group are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the NYS Legislature, the A. Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor Foundation, the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, The Community Foundation for South Central New York, the Tianaderrah Foundation, The Delaware National Bank of Delhi, and individual supporters.

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Whittling Away with Dick Brooks - Luck

I have never been what you could call a lucky person.  Oh, I think I’m average in the luck department but if a sea gull flew over a crowd and did what sea gulls do frequently, I’d most likely be the recipient of the gift from above.  No more!  I can’t believe the luck!  Thanks to modern technology in the last two weeks I have received 19 e-mails informing me that I have won or become the beneficiary of millions of dollars and British pounds.  

Totaling up the sums involved, it comes to $88,650,000 U.S. dollars and 176,500,000 British pounds, a tidy sum indeed.  It seems that there are airplanes filled with people I don’t know falling from the skies all over Africa and the banks there don’t seem to know who their money belongs to.  These poor folks all seem to have been exceptionally wealthy with no relatives and somehow the banks have chosen me to be the recipient of all this wealth.  The British National Lottery, The Euro Lottery, The Irish Draw Promo and The Irish Sweepstakes have all drawn my name.  Yahoo Agenda of France has drawn my name in their e-mail rewards program and are holding 10 million for me.  BMW Automobiles pulled my name and have $250,000 and a new BMW waiting for me. 

I’d be suspicious if all these notifications of wealth awaiting hadn’t come from such prestigious institutions and important people. 

One offer came-- Chairman, Committee on Foreign Contract and Inheritance fund Payment Notification from United Nations and USA Government—Sir Allen Smith.  Now a knight wouldn’t lie, would he?

All I have to do in most cases is send my personal information, banking information (so the funds can be discreetly transferred) and I’m set for life.

I could use a few extra millions and the new BMW would be nice but I think I’ll pass.  Not being the luckiest of persons I learned early that if you wanted something, you went out and earned it.  Most of these generous offers had misspellings and grammatical errors that offend me as an old teacher and the old adage “If it seems too good to be true, it usually is”.  

I’m a senior, not stupid.  The two don’t go together well.  Seniors get taken advantage of frequently because we know what hard times are and we’re sympathetic when some one seems to be in need.  There are a lot of things we can no longer do ourselves so we need to have them done for us.  If we’ve done those things all our lives, we might not know how much it costs to do them so we can be easy prey for unscrupulously repair and handy men.  If we band together maybe we can help each other. 

 If you have any suspicions about laying out cash or information, ask another senior if they would do what you’re about to.  Check with your kids, you raised them right, didn’t you?  They’ll help.  Build a support system that you’re comfortable talking with in person, on the phone or e-mail.  Ask and we’ll show these leaches what it means to deal with Seniors.

Actually, my luck has been good this week for real. I hit the Lottery for five bucks in hard cash I won on a dollar scratch off card.  Things are looking up!

Thought for the week—“Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, prepare to die.”  --Klingon Proverb, Star Trek

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

Whittle12124@yahoo.com    

 

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A Conversation about … Kittens and Zucchini

Iris

Zucchini

By Jean Thomas

And Iris and Daylilies. This time of year is famous for vegetable overflow. Successful zucchini crops are as welcome to the gardener's neighbors as a litter of kittens. While charming from a distance, both are overwhelming in reality. Let's assume we are all capable of refusing the little furballs and move on to the challenges of vegetable orphans. Many of us have no idea what to even do with a zucchini, even if it's a correctly sized one. That, to newbies, is small enough to cut up without having to deal with seeds. In other words, the zucchini version of kitten-sized. Zucchini is wondrously versatile. You can saute, can or freeze it, and it is a great base for soups. Still, there is only room for a finite amount in any kitchen. The dangerous phase is where the ballbat -sized zucchini begin to appear. The donors become sneakier at delivery, sometimes at night or when the recipient isn't at home. The sad truth is that those huge vegetables are only good for two things: zucchini bread or compost. The compost choice is risky, because there may be seedlings next spring, starting the cycle (and the similarity to kittens) all over. And zucchini bread is only interesting to diehard bakers or rookie gardeners. I know a woman who grew all her zucchini to full size for zucchini bread. The thrill wore off after one season of grating and baking and making freezer space... and finding out the kids wouldn't eat it. I don't know how to deal with the donating neighbor politely, but there are many creative ways to deal with the unwanted produce. Passing it on to friends and family, or setting up a stand out front with a “free” sign are borderline remedies. Food pantries are probably already loaded with produce, but it's worth a try. Depositing the unwanted veggies by stealth can be dangerous, what with all the security cameras in everybody's doorways. Let me know if you find a gracious way to deal with the green menace.

While zucchini and kittens are famously unwelcome, Iris and Daylilies exist in a similar universe of plenty. Charity plant sales are always awash with both, and anyone who gardens has some of both. They are, after all, among the top dozen most popular (and easy) perennial plants. The problems are multiple. Success is almost guaranteed, and the rainbows of color of the flowers are irresistible. There are also societies of collectors scattered around the area, because both are ridiculously easy to hybridize. So it is easy to be tempted to expand the “collection” of Iris and/or Daylilies. However, not only are they easy to grow, they are ridiculously prolific. Before you know it, there is a surplus of plants and they are outgrowing the area and blooming less because they're crowded. So they must be thinned. And they're too beautiful to just discard. See the direction this is going? Just like the zucchini, they're welcome at first. Then there's no room at the neighbor's garden, and the stealth sharing begins. I have no cure for this dilemma, either, except to practice moderation. Hah!

So, sadly, I must ask the reader for suggestions. Any legal and practical ideas accepted, whether for kittens, Zucchini, Iris or Daylilies.

 

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The Catskill Geologists with Robert and Johanna Titus - Grand Gorge; Stopping Along the Road

Last time, we visited Grand Gorge and learned about its ice age origins. We watched as enormous volumes of glacial meltwater rushed by. That took us about 15,000 years into the past to a moment late in the Ice Age. Does that seem a long time ago? Well, it probably does to an average human being. We are, after all, only given “three score and ten” years on this planet.

The space occupied by Grand Gorge has been where it is today for a very long time. It’s a spot; it has a longitude and latitude that has been there for four and a half billion years. This spot has been here all of that time and it has, of course, changed a lot. What was it like here a million years ago? How about a hundred million? Well, it is up to geologists to figure out what happened during all of that time.

Let’s see what we can learn about Grand Gorge. If you drive in from the north you will pass a Firestone agency. Go another half mile and you see an outcropping of stratified rock on the right (west) side of the highway. That begins our journey into the past. Take a good look at our photo; the strata of the upper half of the outcrop are all inclined to the left. We believe we are looking at the sediments of an ancient stream channel. The bedding dips leftward, towards the deepest part of the stream.

   If you park and get out. You can walk up to those strata and touch them. You are literally standing in the flow of that river. Perhaps you can even feel the river currents coming from behind you! River channel deposits are common throughout the Catskills. But, what an experience it is to recognize one. This is a petrified river!

   If you scan downwards you will discover a few feet of poorly stratified, brick red rock at the bottom of the outcrop. The color is a giveaway; it is the color of many modern tropical soils. We are looking at petrified soils that once lay along the banks of our petrified river. If you visit the modern lands of the Amazon or Congo basins, you will see similar soils.

   What about the strata in the middle? They are flat lying strata, lying above the soils and below the river channel. We really are not sure how they formed. Sometimes a scientist just has to guess, and we are guessing that these strata formed as the deposits of a river levee, sediments on the bank of the old river.

   So, we stopped along the side of the road and looked at some ancient rocks. We found a mix of river and floodplain deposits; we think we are looking at an ancient delta – it’s called Catskill Delta, and we talked of it recently in our column.

   But how old is all this?   We did not find any fossils but others have. They all belong to a time called the Devonian time period. The makes these strata approximately 350 to 375 million years old.

   We have traveled to Grand Gorge as it was during the Devonian, We traveled to an ancient tropical delta. We traveled through time.

     Contact the authors at randjtitus@prodigy.net. Join their facebook page The Catskill Geologist or visit their blog thecatskillgeologist.com

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Get to Know Your Hospital Board Members - Fred Margulies

By Matthew Avitabile

MARGARETVILLE — Fred Margulies has been on the Margaretville Hospital Board since 2007. He and his wife Teddy started coming to the area as weekenders in 1997 and “even before we closed on our first house we were developing relationships with people in the community that made us feel welcome,” Margulies said. They moved here full-time in 2001. One of his first friends was then-Board Chair Joyce St. George, who asked if he would join the board. Margulies had experienced the hospital, as many of us do, through the emergency department.

At the time, the hospital had been under the aegis of Kingston Hospital. The monthly board meetings included Kingston Hospital’s CEO Michael Kaminski. The board had financial and fiduciary responsibilities. A major transition occurred when Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley was formed in 2013 with the merging of Kingston Hospital and Benedictine Hospital. Health Alliance ownership resulted in “a step away from local control,” said Margulies. Yet another transition occurred in 2016 when Westchester Medical Center became the overall parent.

Around that time, Margulies was term-limited from the board, but after one year was asked to return. There was deep concern that we were now just an advisory board with little power. Over the next few years, however, WMC Health allayed many of the fears, including over possible closure. “They listened to us,” Margulies said. This has led to significant support, such as the soon to be built helipad. The current system requires involvement from the Margaretville Fire Department and sending the ambulance from the area behind Freshtown, which takes crucial time during an emergency. He credits the community, the Foundation, donations, and fundraising through events such as the Art Auction to help make the project happen.

As the “emeritus” member of the board, Margulies brings an important institutional memory, including the ups and downs of the hospital’s history. “We have a great board now,” he said. This includes the ability to get attention from WMC. He gives specific credit to Chair Emilie Adams, who he said has done a “phenomenal job.” “There’s not only a deep caring, but also the ability to talk to members of the community who continue to be concerned,” he said.

Margulies added that continued community support and honest communication is essential to keeping ahead of potential rumors.

There is significant concern now over current policy at the federal level, he said. The board is helping influence WMC Health to influence policymakers. “These are dangerous times for rural hospitals,” he said. Funding from the federal government aids critical access hospitals, such as Margaretville.

“The Hospital is essential to our community in so many ways,” he said. In addition, Mountainside has been a critical resource for families in and around Margaretville. “We are truly a hometown hospital and nursing home,” he said. This includes the high quality of care for local residents and beyond. It is also one of the largest employers in the area. “That hometown spirit still is alive here,” said Margulies.

While he has stepped back from some board activity due to family health concerns, he had continued to contribute. He is responsible for recruitment of new board members. This includes a new crop that makes him “much more confident about the future.”

Margaretville is truly our home. “Living here is like living in an extended family,” he said. “Whenever we are away due to illness, we come back to a refrigerator stocked with food, even from people we barely know.”

 

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Meet Your Hospital Board Members - Colleen Martin, Part II

By Matthew Avitabile

We are continuing the second part of our interview with Margaretville Hospital Board member Colleen Martin from two weeks ago.

“With the Big Beautiful Bill, WMC is continuing to review. WMC is waiting to see how New York State will respond and what the impact will be. Each state will be impacted differently and we hope for the best possible outcome,” she said.

“All of this would not be possible without the dedicated staff in every department in both the Hospital and the Nursing Home next door,” Martin said. “We now have a local Executive Director, Michael Hochman, who grew up in Ulster County and is very committed, along with WMC, to rural health care.”

“We are seeing great changes,” she said.

Martin said that her favorite part of being on the board is demonstrating her love for the community and being able to contribute in a field that she has served in for decades.

“I want the Hospital to succeed.”

 

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A Fun Summerfest at Plattekill

Plattekill Mountain hosted the second annual Summerfest on July 26. The barbecue is a fundraiser to support the volunteer ski patrol. Funds will be used to purchase updated equipment. Last year, the patrol team was able to use funds towards a new radio system. Along with food, they had a full-service bar, chairlift rides, a local art display, a 50/50 raffle, and yard games. Awestruck Cider and Union Grove Distillery offered tastings.

Becca Frame & The Tall Boys played live music for the Plattekill Mountain Summerfest on July 26.

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Blintzes Class in Fleischmanns

FLEISCHMANNS — Friday August 15  - 11:00am: Learn how to make cheese/fruit blintzes. To RSVP or get an ingredient list, please contact using email below. 5:30pm: Dairy/parve pot luck dinner-bring a dish for 8-10 people.

Both events are free and open to the public.

Email: bnaiisraelfleischmannsny@gmail.com. Congregation B'nai Israel, 347 Wagner Ave. Fleischmanns.

 

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