Art Up Hosts Works by Clorfeine, Thomas

MARGARETVILLE — Last Friday September 26, ArtUp Gallery in Margaretville hosted a reception for their new exhibition: “Going to Ground,” the works of Steve Clorfeine and Nat Thomas. 

Steve Clorfeine and Nat Thomas are seasoned artists whose work spans numerous mediums and explorations. This exhibit, curated by ArtUp Co-Director Patrice Lorenz, focuses on Clorfeine’s clay - small hand-built pots, vases, containers, and platters - and Thomas’s collage.

Thomas’s collages stem from the joy he finds working in his garden. Borrowing from ephemeral materials, he “grows” his blooms in paper, cut and pasted in distinctive arrangements.

Steve’s ceramic pieces are described by the gallery as “all ask[ing] to be held to experience the warmth infused by Clorfeine’s eye and touch”. Indeed, his pieces have a soft or rounded appearance, with a selection of 24 bowls in a case looking like they were chiselled from various Catskills rocks. Some of the vases seem loose and baggy; stamped with fabric stamps and patterned rollers, they look like purses or totes without their handle and that’s part of their charm. The plates are substantial and heavy, but are wavy, reminiscent of floating lily pads, as if they’re welcoming your hand. 

Asked what attracts Steve to clay in particular, he responded: “It’s earth. The clay is coming out of the earth, and it’s very clear to me that it’s connected to any child’s fantasy of what to do with a handful of dirt - mud. Kids are totally fascinated with clay in that way”. 

“I started making pots in 1970 and after a 20 year hiatus, began again at Women’s Studio Workshop in 2003. Hand-building is what I’m drawn to. I’ve had several inspiring teachers along the way and many sculptor/potters I’ve looked to for ideas and possibilities.The artifacts of the potters of ancient civilizations attracted me from childhood museum trips. Later in life, as a performer, teacher and persistent traveler I took the opportunity everywhere I landed to look at and buy ceramics: from highly decorated East Indian and Mexican tiles and containers to Swiss and German mid-century art pottery to classic Native American bowls. Most likely it’s the bowls from Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico which I saw in 1975 that sent me into an ongoing pursuit of ‘pinch pots’. It’s a lowly name for these pueblo traditions”. 

Nat Thomas is a Margaretville-based artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans painting, collage, and quilt-making. He earned a BFA in printmaking from Louisiana State University in 1973 and pursued graduate work in sculpture and theater at LSU. His work has been featured in solo shows at Roxbury Arts Group, Chace-Randall Gallery (Andes), Erpf Gallery (Catskill Center), Enderlin Gallery (Roxbury), and Hopper House Art Center (Nyack). A founding member of Longyear Gallery, Thomas also serves on the Catskill Mountain Artisans Guild and the ARC of Delaware County boards.

ArtUp, 746 Main Street, Binnekill Square, Margaretville, NY 12455. Hours: Friday - Sunday 12pm - 4pm. “Going to Ground” will be on show from September 26 - October 19, 2025. https://www.artupmargaretville.com/exhibition/going-to-ground

 

                                            Image by Jenny Neal - Steve Cloreine ceramics

 

                                            Image by Jenny Neal. Collage by Nat Thomas

 

                            Image by Jenny Neal. Steve Clorfeine and his ceramic bowls

 

                                                    Image of Nat Thomas by Jenny Neal
 

 

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A Conversation about … Novelties

Cucamelon

 

Tithhonia

By Jean Thomas

I'm a sucker for novelties. So my gardens are often a playground, not a serious botanical presentation. In past years I have grown twelve foot tall sunflowers and “walking onions.” There have been trellises loaded with gourds and almost always Cleomes hovering over the smaller plants. I like other plants from the Victorian era, too, like Balsam Impatiens and Nigella, and the  indestructible Wax Begonias. Mass plantings amuse me, and in any given year there may be a couple hundred square foot patch of corn poppies blasting their gorgeous red color at any observers. I am a fan of bulbs from Crocosmia to Colchicum. The massing of their blooms can be a traffic stopper. 

Of course, this year I found a couple of “new” things to grow. My taste for great big flowering plants has included Cleomes and Castor Beans, along with some of the fancy landscape grasses (I call their florets flowers, even though they don't act like those of other plants).  

This year, I had promised a friend a flat of Tithonia rotundifolia, his favorite annual. I picked up a  pack for myself. I had never grown them. Well, they exceeded expectations, both in size and as a butterfly magnet. The common name is Mexican Sunflower, and the plants lived up to the name. Mine were eight to twelve feet tall and looked like big colorful shrubs decorated with orange daisies. Once they started to bloom,they were covered with bees and butterflies, and   regularly bombarded by hummingbirds. They made great cut flowers, too. When it came time to remove one (because the wind had broken a couple of stems) I had to use a strong pruning tool. All these annuals that grow to five feet or more in height develop woody stems. 

Following my impulse to grow novelties, this spring I also planted a vine that is as tiny as the Tithonia is huge. It's a melon, actually, but tastes like a really crispy cucumber dipped in lemon juice. It's called a cucamelon or a Mexican sour gherkin or a mouse melon plant. The scientific name is Melothria scabra, and it is native to Mexico and Central America. You grow it like any other cucurbit. It makes a vine and loves to climb. It's ideal for a trellis and would be happy in a container. The flowers are teeny and yellow, and the leaves look like those of any other squash or melon family leaf, but very dainty. The fruit look like watermelons, except they're the size of a table grape. The plant produces prolifically, so once in fruiting mode, it will yield hands full of bounty. They're great to snack on or tossed into a salad . Most seed companies carry these little guys, and they're easiest from seed.

As I contemplate these two new-to-me novelty plants, I'm already planning for next year. Maybe the Tithonia can be planted along the road... the deer don't like them. And maybe I can plant something to climb up them, like sweet peas ( a friend's suggestion.) Or maybe I can plant a row of trellises with the mouse melons alternating with regular cucumbers. Or I can plant a forest of Cleome and Castor Bean and Tithonia around a patch of grass for the grandchildren to play inside. Or I can find something else in a catalog that needs some TLC. We'll see.

If you have comments or suggestions for future columns, contact me at jeanthepipper@duck.com. 

 

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THE CATSKILL GEOLOGISTS BY PROFESSORS ROBERT AND JOHANNA TITUS - The Glaciers at Twilight Park – Part Two

Last week we visited Twilight Park and found ourselves on the south rim of Kaaterskill Clove. We watched as, 14 thousand years ago, all this was sinking into yet another chapter of the Ice Age. We were the mind’s eyes; we could do such things. Last time we watched as a glacier was coming down the Hudson Valley. It moved south and swelled up to fill all the landscape down there below us. The Hudson River occupies a large valley, so this became an equally large glacier. We looked around and everywhere we looked there had been a baren cold-climate landscape called a tundra. That was about to change. A large mass of ice peeled off of the valley glacier and headed west, up Kaaterskill Clove. That took it past us as we watched.

The glacier swelled up and filled the clove. It was being pushed from behind by ice that extended all the way back to highlands in Labrador. We heard loud cracking sounds and judged that the ice was yanking large masses of bedrock out of the ground. Moving glaciers do that and do it well.

We, the mind’s eyes, rose up into the sky. We looked west and watched as more ice peeled away from the main clove glacier and slowly headed northeast in the direction of today’s South Lake. It would have passed over Kaaterskill Falls except that those falls had not yet been formed. They would come later; it was the glacier that was there now. Next, we looked farther to the northeast. Ice was rising out of the Hudson Valley and passing across the Mountain House ledge. It flowed west and headed towards today’s North Lake.

Now there were two glaciers, and they were heading toward each other. One gouged out the South Lake basin, the other sculpted North Lake. Then the two collided. The collision of two glaciers sounds like an unlikely event, but this was mandated by the local geography, it just happened. The colliding glaciers pushed masses of earth up against each other. Have you been to the North Lake area? Now you know how that peninsula between the two lakes formed. And now you know how the two lakes, themselves, formed.                                           

We are still the mind’s eyes. We rose a few miles into the sky and surveyed all these, the ice age Catskills. We saw a very sizable glacier coming down the Schoharie Creek Valley. It too was on a collision course - with glaciers coming down Batavia Kill, East Creek and West Creek. Then came the most massive collision – between the Schoharie Creek glacier and the one we saw in Kaaterskill Clove. That was where Lexington is today.  See the jagged lines on our illustration.

We rose a few more miles higher into the sky and turned a full 360 degrees.  All around us was this wonderful image of an ice age mountain range. What a privilege it was to see all this - if only in the mind’s eyes.

                                               

Contact the authors at randjtitus@prodigy.net. Join their facebook page “The Catskill Geologist.” Read their blogs at “thecatskillgeologist.com.”

 

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Whittling Away with Dick Brooks - Family

 I had the disadvantage of having grown up in a functional family.  You hardly hear those mentioned these days, probably because they seem to be endangered.  Who knows how rich and famous I'd be today if my parents had left me on a park bench at an early age and I had been raised by pigeons or squirrels.  I'm sure they were tempted but they reared me to early adulthood and never even complained much.

The closest I came to pain and agony in my childhood was supplied happily by my brothers and sister.  The first couple years of life were grand.  I liked being an only child and I thought I was doing a good job at it but suddenly another child appeared.  I was just getting used to him when the next one came and finally our sister came on the scene.  This left me as the oldest of the brood, a position which I learned to rue.   In those distant days before the term sibling rivalry raised it's ugly head, we loved each other while trying in any way we could think up to kill or maim any thing small, moving and related.  

Being the oldest, I learned early that I was responsible for the behavior of the younger members of the brood.  My sister (the only female of the bunch and the youngest) could play my father like a violin.  When she got caught smoking corn silk in a toy corn cob pipe, somehow it became my fault.  I always got paired with her so I could watch over her, which was fine, except that that when she paired up my younger brothers. It resulted in a match not unlike pairing Ivan the Terrible with Captain Kidd.

On one occasion, I spent the morning with my little sister down in the orchard.  We built this really neat little grass hut under an apple tree and were playing house in it when we heard a war whoop and were attacked by wild Indians.  This might have been fun and a good time had by all except for the fact that the "Wild Indians" shot flaming arrows into our grass hut.  I not only had to rescue my sister, I had to put out the fire and then hide the evidence of what had occurred since I knew who would be blamed.

These two middle brigands were incredibly creative and curious individuals.  They decided to experiment one day and see if a cat placed in a paper bag and dropped out of a second story window would still land on its feet in spite of not being able to see where it was going because of the bag.  I became part of the experiment when I came walking up our driveway, I observed them leaning out of the upstairs bedroom window holding a paper bag.  It dawned on me as to what was afoot when the bag shook and emitted a loud yowl.  As I ran towards the house, they released the bag and its unhappy cargo.  Like a true super hero or just the oldest kid who knew he'd catch it if the little ones killed the cat, I made a running dive and in true Willie Mays fashion, I made the greatest catch ever seen by mortal man.  The cat was not impressed with my efforts, clawed his way through the bag and up one side of me and down the other, ran off into the safety of the nearby woods and didn't return for several days.  He never trusted another paper bag as long as he lived.

At family reunions these days, we sit, remember the good old days and wonder how we survived childhood.  That's what families do and as battered and scarred as some of us are, we're still a family. 

Thought for the week--The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.  --Lucille Ball

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

Whittle12124@yahoo.com  

 

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Wearing the Revolution: Schoharie’s Living History Interpreters (Pt 1)

Bonnie Dailey and Vic DiSanto as David and Nancy Williams

 

Vic as David Williams

By Diane Dobry

As the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States approaches, we are reminded that Schoharie County was a key location for events leading up to the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War. Now is the 250th anniversary of important events here that led New Yorkers to declare and fight for independence.  Local historians and enthusiasts bring these historic events to life for our community, often, doing so in 18th century attire, as a way to embody the time period. But the garments are not simply “costumes,” since a costume is just a modern imitation, with modern fabrics, zippers, or Velcro, not made from natural fabric with the same detail that authentically reproduced clothing is.   

Many presentations and re-enactments are part of New York State’s Path Through History, and promote cultural tourism , encouraging visits to and exploration of museums, parks, and natural spaces important to this region’s history.

Some interpreters in Schoharie County, who represent the past wearing historic attire, educating visitors and locals as they bring early Schoharie to life, are introduced below.

Vic DiSanto

Vic DiSanto, a historian who volunteers at the Iroquois Museum, who is well versed in the history and culture of the Haudenosaunee people (also known as the Iroquois Confederacy) and early American history, frequently portrays and teaches about Revolutionary War hero David Williams. Williams, a Revolutionary militiaman, was one of three key patriots who thwarted the attempted treason by Benedict Arnold when they questioned and arrested Major John Andre, an intelligence officer of the British Army, as he traveled undercover after meeting with Arnold. DiSanto narrates the full story wearing a handsewn linen hunting shirt, linen shirt and waistcoat, breeches, and round hat - similar to what Williams would have worn when he was in the militia. He also gives talks the various flags that were used during the Revolutionary War to represent the confederation, leading to the various versions of the stars and stripes.

DiSanto’s introduction to historic dress reenactment (or costumed interpretation)—which he thought was “too corny to ever do”—was on a visit to Plimouth Plantation in Massachusetts, But he eventually saw value in it when he became Historic Site Manager of John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid, NY.  When volunteers dressed in historic attire, he saw that tourists “flocked to [the] volunteers in historic dress like bugs to a light.” It kept visitors interested and engaged, and he began to consider doing it himself.  

In 2020, DiSanto began to research the life of David Williams after taking a tour led by Schoharie historic presenter Jeff O’Connor of Turning Point 1777.  As a result, DiSanto published several articles in the Journal of the American Revolution and began speaking on podcasts and at the Annual Conference on New York State History at the New York State Museum. Having grown up in northern Westchester County, near Tarrytown, where Williams and the other militiamen captured Major John Andre, fueled his interest. DiSanto also lived just 10 miles from where David Williams lived from 1779-1805 before moving to Schoharie County. He has played the part of Williams in Schoharie County and in Westchester County at Reis Park in Somers, Croton Point Park in Croton, and Pierson Park and Scenic Hudson Riverwalk in Tarrytown. 

“I consider myself a historian first and foremost, trying to act out a part of a historic character to get people interested and engaged in history,” DiSanto explains. “Not too long ago the captors were mostly written off as frauds, as highwaymen who got lucky. The climate of opinion seems to be changing and I hope in some small way my scholarship contributed to this.”

DiSanto chooses not to join a battle reenactment unit, a decision he made based on his own experience serving three years as a soldier in the US Army doing the real thing. “It just does not appeal to me,” he said.

Bonnie Dailey 

In Schoharie County, you are likely to see Bonnie Dailey, a Jefferson, NY, native, in a blue calico bonnet and matching dress when she accompanies Vic DiSanto in presentations on militiaman David Williams, filling the role of Nancy Benedict, David Williams’ wife. Dailey also covers other historic periods, and is particularly thrilled to wear high-waisted dresses from the Regency Period (1811-1820) when playing FreeLove Fiske Frisbee, wife of Revolutionary War hero Gideon Frisbee. Both are buried in the family cemetery behind the Frisbee House in Delhi. Dailey has played that role for the Delaware Historical Society in the graveyard behind the Society’s museum house. 

She also portrays a schoolmarm teaching 19th-century classes to modern grade school students at Jefferson’s one-room schoolhouse in reading, writing, and arithmetic the way they would have been taught more than a century ago.

At an upcoming presentation on October 26 at the Jefferson Historical Society, Dailey will portray the mother of Carl Skidmore, a WWI soldier from Jefferson who never came home.  First-person interpreters will read letters sent to and from Carl and his family while he was fighting in the War.  

With a BA in history from the University of Michigan, Dailey has a long history of teaching and presenting historical times and places, from being trained at the Smithsonian where she worked at the National Museum of American History, to her role as a guide in historic dress at the Noah Webster House in Fairfield, CT.  From there, she was trained intensively at Watermark Annapolis historic site, learning American history and the history of Annapolis. After returning to Jefferson, NY, she gravitated to the Old Stone Fort to continue representing living history for the benefit of the public and visitors to the area, and to help people research genealogy. 

 

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32ND ANNUAL FIDDLERS! FESTIVAL CELEBRATES THREE DECADES OF MUSICAL TRADITION Oct. 12

ROXBURY – Roxbury Arts Group announces the 32nd annual Fiddlers! Sunday October 12, 3-7pm.  For over 3 decades this cherished festival has brought fiddlers from near and far together with community, food and fun in honor of beloved local fiddler and square dance caller Hilt Kelly.  This year’s festival features artists Richie and Rosie, an acclaimed Americana group from Trumansburg, NY; Harry Bolick, aka The Mississippi Fiddler; and Five Cent FIreballs, an alt-bluegrass ensemble based in Charlottesville, VA.  In addition to the outstanding musical guests who take to the stage on the hour between 3 and 6pm,  there will be a community jam from 6-7p and food and drink for available purchase (including sampling the apple pie contest entries!) throughout the festival.  Tickets and  information about all the events surrounding  the 32nd annual Fiddlers! are available at www.roxburyartsgroup.org or by calling 607.326.7908.

The festival features three distinctive acts that showcase the rich diversity of American roots and old time music. Richie & Rosie is musical partnership that breathes new life into traditional music while honoring its roots.  Richie Stearns,  whose family founded the iconic GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance in Trumansburg, brings world-class credentials performing with the likes of  Pete Seeger, David Byrne, and Joan Baez, while Rosie Newton combines classical training with folk fiddle mastery. The “magic of their duo”  delivers captivating melodies and an unexpectedly full sound.  Harry Bolick, aka the Mississippi Fiddler, delivers authentic Southern fiddle playing alongside masterful storytelling. Beyond his exceptional skill as a performer, Bolick is a preservationist—documenting fiddle traditions through 14 recordings and two scholarly books that document almost every known Mississippi tune.  Harry’s extensive work has connected his family roots in Carroll County to legendary musicians like "Mississippi" John Hurt and turned these rare musical traditions more familiar at fiddle conventions around the world. Five Cent Fireballs brings alt-bluegrass innovation from Charlottesville, VA, with trio members Malia Furtado (Shenandoah Valley fiddle heritage), Clara George (Oberlin Conservatory graduate who performed at Lilith Fair), and Emma McDowell (North Carolina roots, IBMA Songwriter Showcase alumna) creating instrumental virtuosity with stunning three-part harmonies that seamlessly unites  traditional bluegrass and alternative rock styles.  After the formal performances end, local musicians of all levels are invited to join the artists in a community jam from 6-7.  

Adding to the festival's community charm, an Apple Pie Contest that celebrates local bakers and supports the Roxbury Arts Group.  Pie makers can deliver a pie to the Roxbury Arts Center between 1:30 and 2pm on October 12th and will receive one free festival ticket plus the opportunity to compete for the coveted title of Fiddlers! Apple Pie Champion!  Throughout the festival, there will also be food and beverages available for purchase, creating the perfect setting for families and music lovers to spend a beautiful autumn afternoon. 

Nestled in the western Catskill Mountains, the Roxbury Arts Center's intimate performance space allows audiences to experience these world-class musicians up close and enjoy the festivities while surrounded by the stunning fall foliage of the Catskill Mountains. The festival serves as both a celebration of musical heritage and a testament to the enduring power of community arts programming.

This program is sponsored by Sluiter Agency, Inc.  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.

Established in 1979, The Roxbury Arts Group is a non-profit multi-arts organization on a mission to infuse the heart of Catskill communities with the power of the arts. Through captivating public performances, inspiring exhibitions, engaging classes, and critical artist support The Roxbury Arts Group has ensured that artists from all walks of life and art lovers of all ages have access to quality programming and opportunities. Join us for an event or program at one of our venues: Roxbury Arts Center, Headwaters Arts Center, and the historic Old School Baptist Church.

Five Cent Fireballs from Charlottesville, VA

Harry Bolick, The Mississippi Fiddler lives in Beacon, NY

 Richie and Rosie (Richie Stearns and Rosie Newton) from Trumansburg, NY

 

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“Stronger Together” - What’s Happened, What’s Ahead, and Why It Matters

By Greg Madden

HAINES FALLS — “Our times, they are certainly a’changing,” and yes both here and all around our globe. We are all living through turbulent times. From economic pressure, fractured politics, climate anxieties, and social isolation amplified by a decade of changing technology and pandemic aftershocks. Then there are other basic necessities to keep up.  Life today is challenging.

We, Mountain toppers, reside just a few hours from the biggest city on earth, perched on a broad and jagged ridge of the Catskill Mountains, where a small, yet determined, energy has sparked and now taken root as face these challenging times head on.

Following a few years of turbulence, both locally and abroad, the seeds were planted for "Stronger Together," right here in our backyard.  This group was born from the desire of many in our small, but vocal, community to pool and blend our thoughts and ideas into projects and actions that are needed by the many.

Our initial gathering of this group took place this past May in Haines Falls, New York at Peace Village. The genesis of this community strengthening group is to bring neighbors and friends into honest and productive conversation that expands into a focused unit dedicated to community-building. 

During these times when regions, nations, and the world seem pulled in a thousand competing directions, these gatherings are designed to enhance and solidify our local connection, shared core values, and intentional action to take what we have and strengthen it.

The first "Stronger Together" meeting was modest, energetic and informative.  During our maiden get-together, the group moved from casual conversation to purpose-driven possibilities through listening sessions about our shared local needs and how to meet them as one community.  

Our modest mountain population is dwarfed by our generous acreage and dimensions, so building a path to fulfillment lands on us who dwell here to do what we need to accomplish.  Does that sound like a daunting process? Well, we have devised a simplified process to produce the best results where everyone has a voice. Everyone matters.

A key memory for many who attended was the impressive community response to the first “Stronger Together.” Many mountaintop folks expressed concerns about many unattended and important issues we all face today.  How can this be addressed and what action steps can come from or forum with purposeful discussion followed by action.  This gathering renewed our grand old tradition of mutual aid. “Stronger Together” for our Mountaintop tweaked this to best serve the needs of the many.

According to Google, “Mutual aid traditionally has been the voluntary, reciprocal exchange of resources and services among community members for collective benefit, operating on the principle of solidarity rather than charity. It involves people giving what they can and receiving what they need, forming networks that often arise when public or private systems fail to meet community needs, especially during crises like economic downturns, pandemics, natural disasters and more.”

"Stronger Together’s" genesis comes from a handful of simple, basic and powerful values most importantly Respectful Listening, Practical Solidarity, Inclusivity without Pretense, Local Stewardship, and Civic Courage.  These values will be discussed further here in the Mountaintop Eagle /WRIP  97.9 FM and at the upcoming October 18th “Stronger Together” meetup. These values aren’t just theoretical banners, they show up in how decisions are made that shape our future that we all can share and appreciate. 

Large institutions sometimes move too slowly or become paralyzed by partisanship. "Stronger Together" is an antidote, not to replace these civic structures, but to make everyday life more enjoyable and resilient for everyone. Any issue you can identify can be addressed in this format. Come and experience it.

Local community involvement builds what sociologists call “social capital.” These are networks of trust and reciprocity that can soften sudden severe shocks and enable creative and efficient local problem-solving. That translates to focused teams of residents who can quickly organize mutual aid after a storm, mentor a young entrepreneur, or rally support for a local school program. Emotionally, it tethers a sense of belonging that reduces loneliness of shut ins and strengthens overall community mental health.

Moreover, these Mountaintop gatherings show that community work doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Small projects like repairing a community sign, hosting a potluck, starting a neighborhood watch for wildlife will compound into a culture of trust. This has ripple effects as businesses are more willing to collaborate, newcomers are well received, and local leaders discover a place to test solutions with immediate feedback.

"Stronger Together" has moved carefully from being a visionary concept to a process that completes projects without losing its grassroots soul. Join our group to preserve what we all love most about our Mountaintop.

"Stronger Together" welcomes participation in many forms. Show up to a meeting. share an idea, volunteer for an event or project. Offer a skill or an hour of time. If you can’t attend in person, connect through our email: StrongerTogetherMTNTop@gmail.com or website www.StrongerTogetherMTNTop.com.

Please come (and bring others) to our second gathering on Saturday, October 18, 2025 (1:00 - 4:30 pm followed with a meal) at Peace Village, 54 O’Hara Road, Haines Falls, NY 12436 - RSVP for the meal head count at http://tinyurl.com/StrongerTogether-RSVP. 

We have a process to allow our Mountaintop community to be forever “Stronger Together.”

 

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Chasing the Grid: An Ultrarunner's Physical and Spiritual Journey in Pursuit of the Ultimate Mountain Challenge

WINDHAM — Author Kenneth Posner will read some excerpts from his new book, Chasing the Grid, along with a Q&A session and book signing following Oct. 25 at 2pm at Briars and Brambles Books in the Alpine Garden Village in Windham. This is a free event, but due to limited space, please sign up at briarsandbramblesbooks.com/events.

After a successful career on Wall Street, the Catskill Mountains beckoned.  In Chasing the Grid, author Kenneth Posner, a seasoned corporate worker  and intrepid but non-elite runner, sets out after an ultra-distance mountain running record which nearly destroys him. Along the way, he stumbles upon  an obscure peak-bagging tradition known as the “Grid,” which becomes his  new obsession. 

The Grid is a project where a determined athlete must run, hike, or climb a  list of peaks in every month of the year, the purpose being to get to know  the mountains intimately, in every season. For New York’s Catskill Mountains, the formula requires more than 400 separate ascents. For Posner,  the Grid turns out to be not just another running challenge; it’s a pilgrimage.  It offers a retreat from the spirit of modern running, often reduced to a one dimensional activity driven by ego and moderated by clocks, in favor of  how our ancestors moved through nature in days gone by––purposefully,  patiently, and mindfully. Posner emerges from the experience as a radically  different kind of runner––now running barefoot across trails and shirtless in  the winter, leaving behind food, water, lights, navigational gear, and even  bug spray. 

By following Posner in his quest to complete the Grid, readers will feel  sandstone fragments under bare soles; pad across a bed of moss as luxurious as a Persian carpet; squelch with him through cool black boreal mud;  dance across snow and ice; and participate in discoveries about the passage of time, the energy of nature, and the sense of self. 

About the Author: 

KENNETH POSNER’s running credentials include completing 110 races of  marathon distance or longer and setting fastest known times for the 294- mile Badwater Double in Death Valley and New York’s 350-mile Long Path.  As a barefoot athlete, he has run 112 races, climbed 485 mountains, including every 4,000-footer in the Northeast, and thru-hiked the John Muir  Trail. As board chair for the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and  Run Wild, Inc., he supports land conservation and stewardship and advocates for connecting young people with nature.

 

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Free Workshop Series in West Kill to Address Rural Isolation, Mental Wellbeing

WEST KILL – A free workshop series aimed at providing tools for mental wellbeing and social connection in a rural setting will continue on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the West Kill Lexington Community Hall. The event is designed to help residents cope with stress and isolation, particularly in preparation for winter.

The series, titled "Tools for Wellbeing & Connection," offers practical strategies for managing stress and change, tools to support emotional wellbeing, and ways to stay socially connected. It will also provide information about accessing professional mental health support.

The workshops are led by two local mental health professionals. Dr. Helle Thorning is a licensed clinical social worker with a private practice in West Kill and New York City. Gail Spindell is a psychotherapist who practices in Jewett and New York City and has led a "Skillful Aging" workshop at the Hunter Library.

Organizers note that while living in a rural area can be peaceful, it can also feel isolating.

The upcoming session will be held from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the community hall, located at 141 Spruceton Road. The series is supported by the West Kill Lexington Community Improvement Association. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP by contacting Helle Thorning at hellethorningwine@gmail.com.

It is noted that the workshops are educational programs and are not a substitute for professional mental health services.

 

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