The Mountain Eagle

10/10/25

Obituary - Barbara V. Mueller

Written By The Mountain Eagle on 10/10/25 | 10/10/25

Barbara V. Mueller, passed peacefully to meet her savior Jesus in the presence of her family and her dear caretaker Trish. It happened that this patriot came to the end of her 90 years on September 11th, Patriot Day. She had the great privilege of being cared for in her Roxbury, NY home by her son, Eric. These later years were challenging, especially after she lost Richard. Family and friends enjoyed a 90-year celebration in September of last year that included a private Bag Piping concert at Kirkside.

Barbara, “Babs” was born Barbara Drake Van Houten on September 28, 1934, in Belleville New Jersey to Katherine Davenport Drake and Edwin Van Houten. Barbara graduated from Drew University with a degree in Chemistry and made a career at the Lakehurst Naval Air Base Test facility as a mathematician and logistics engineer. She was honored for being the first female civilian to stay on the aircraft carrier US Independence. She retired in 1994 and came to Roxbury with her dear partner, the late Richard Ramga. Together they enjoyed many good years establishing a home and loving the community. They shared a love for skiing at Plattekill, where she ended her skiing career at the age of 83. She had a deep love for music and enjoyed her grandchildren’s performances. She spent some years following Andre Bocelli concerts with her good friends Doris and Grace. She continued her love for music by attending yearly Festival of the Voice Concerts with her daughter Nadine. In her last hours she listened to Bocelli recordings.

Barbara D Van Houten was married to the late Edward C Mueller of Spring Lake, NJ in 1957. They raised their family on the Jersey shore in Brick Town. Barbara enjoyed some years sharing running with her 2 sons in her forties and won several races and completed the Princeton half marathon. Barbara is survived by her children, John Hollister, Nyla Mueller, Nadine McCarthy, Eric Mueller and Craig Mueller. She dearly loved her 11 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren; she recognized this abundance as she was an only child.

There will be a Memorial Celebration of her life at noon on December 27, 2025, at the Roxbury United Methodist Church. Refreshments following. RSVP Nadine McCarthy 434 409 5938.

Remember to Subscribe!

10/7/25

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TOWN OF HALCOTT

Written By Editor on 10/7/25 | 10/7/25

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a public hearing on the preliminary budget of the Town of Halcott will be held on October 20, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at the Town of Halcott Grange Hall, Halcott Center, N.Y. Regular Town Board meeting to follow. A copy of the preliminary budget is available at the town clerk’s office where it may be inspected. The proposed salaries are Town Board Member $1,100.00, Town Supervisor $5,000.00, Town Clerk $6,000.00, Highway Superintendent $70,000.00.

By order of the Town Board

Dated September 30, 2025

Patricia Warfield Town Clerk

Remember to Subscribe!

H-T Girls Varsity Lose to the Rockland Wolves Monday

Photos by Max Oppen

HUNTER — H-T Girls Varsity lost to the Rockland Wolves from Sullivan County 1-0 in a non-league game at home on September 29. Rockland’s #19 Kelsey Ryder scored in the last five minutes, and this was the first time both teams played each other.

Remember to Subscribe!

H-T Boys Varsity Crush Stamford-Jefferson 5-1 at Home

Photos by Max Oppen; Stats by Nate Lull:

TANNERSVILLE – The Hunter-Tannersville Boys Varsity team continues their early season streak with a 5-1 win over Stamford-Jefferson on Tuesday. Stamford-Jefferson was up 1-0 early in the first half, but H-T made a ferocious comeback after halftime. According to Coach Brent Dearing, H-T’s record stands at 7 wins and 3 losses, still one of their best starts in years. Dearing said, “When we come together as a team and play well, it’s a beautiful thing to watch.”

Dearing gave respect to Stamford-Jefferson, who are doing their best with just 11 players, having lost several to injuries.

I spoke to a Stamford-Jefferson player who said five of his teammates have been sidelined this year by injuries. H-T’s #3 Blake Cameron scored three goals with one assist; H-T’s #7 Ian Gilmore scored one goal with three assists; H-T’s #11 Rupert Conybeare scored his first varsity goal; and H-T’s #5 Leo Cruz and #9 Donovan Garcia both had one assist.

According to Nate Lull, Stamford-Jefferson’s one goal was knocked in by an H-T player, so no Stamford Jefferson player gets credit for it.

Remember to Subscribe!

Cruisin' on the Mountaintop: A Car Show and a Love Story

Owner Michael Risch stands beside his restored 1925 Fort T Bucket

By Max Oppen

Photos by Max Oppen and Michael Risch:

TANNERSVILLE – Fall was in the air on Sunday, September 21, as the rumble of vintage cars rolled down Main Street for the Village of Tannersville’s 13th annual Cruisin’ on the Mountaintop Fall Car Show.

The Village hosts two shows each year—one on Father’s Day in the spring and another in the fall. Both draw car enthusiasts, families, and curious tourists who often find themselves surprised by Main Street’s day-long closure.

Wendy's Ashes in a heart-shaped pendant hang on the rearview mirror

This year’s fall show was sponsored by Thorpe’s Pontiac, Lamont Engineers, and Pancho Villas, according to Village Clerk Robin Dumont.

Awards were handed out in mid-afternoon by Mayor Lee McGunnigle, though attempts to obtain the complete list of results went unanswered.

Among the standout stories of the day was that of Michael Risch, a regular contestant who entered a 1925 Ford T-Bucket with a small-block 350. The car carries deep personal meaning for him. His wife, Wendy, bought the truck on Memorial Day in 2015. She was only able to take three rides in it before passing away in August of that year after battling cancer. “She was 40,” Risch said.

Risch, 52, has been working on cars since he was 16 years old. He lives in South Cairo with his 28-year-old daughter and has entered every Tannersville car show for the past eight years, along with several others in the region.

For three years, Risch painstakingly rebuilt the truck in Wendy’s honor. He named it after her and even carries some of her ashes in a delicate, heart-shaped pendant that hangs from the rearview mirror. “My wife is always with me,” he explained.

Risch has showcased the truck at the Cairo Car Show, the Graveyarders Annual Summer Car Show in Schaghticoke, and a show hosted by Orange County Choppers. “The only one I haven’t made was the Adirondack Nationals,” he said. Over the years, he has earned multiple “Oldest Registered” awards in Tannersville. “All the rest have been top 10s, top 15s, etc.”

The truck itself has its quirks. Wendy originally spotted it in Athens, parked in front of a home. “He had it out in front of his house and we decided to buy it,” Risch recalled. Driving it up the mountain from South Cairo is no easy feat. “It’s like riding in a lumber wagon,” he said with a laugh. “It’s very loud.”

Due to its weight and design, Risch maintains a speed of under 60 mph. “It doesn’t have modern suspension, which is more true to the original truck,” he explained. The ride is often affected by wind and road conditions.

The T Bucket is a kit car, meaning its body is fiberglass rather than steel. “You buy it as a kit and you build it yourself,” Risch said.

Still, the car’s value has nothing to do with trophies or mechanics. For Risch, the truck is beyond measure. “It’s priceless,” he said, rebuilt as a living tribute to his late wife.

Remember to Subscribe!

10/5/25

Cobleskill Hosts First Annual NYS Canine Expo at Fairgrounds

Written By The Mountain Eagle on 10/5/25 | 10/5/25

By Lei Rowan

COBLESKILL – Last weekend, the first annual NYS Canine Expo took place at the fairgrounds as a two-day event. With a variety of informational booths, clinics, and lectures, as well as a market, turnout was excellent. Exhibitors came from all over New York State.

A large number of canine clubs came together to make the event possible. Some clubs include Fast Cats who hosted individual races, North America Diving Dogs who had dog diving competitions, KMK9 who hosted a tracking workshop with Kyle McCraith, and Hudson Valley Agility Club who had an agility workshop with Heather Adams.

Several local businesses attended as well, including Schoharie Valley Vet, the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley, the Black Sheep Honey cookie truck, West Creek Farm, and Brett’s Fried. SUNY Cobleskill also had a booth set up.

Sharon Hunsbury brought guests through an hour obedience lecture. Hunsbury touched on recall and focus. “‘They should just do it because they love us,’ yeah no, we don’t work for free… teach them what your household requires and set those boundaries early.” She stated, going into depth on how training requires reward and consistency.

Cherry Hills Training Center had a herding seminar. Several dogs already trained were used to highlight herding dogs' roles and different breeds. “The most boring herds are when they’re just walking, and that’s just what we strive for.” Amanda Farnsworth told the audience. Farnsworth brought out two kelpies to demonstrate herding, before turning it over to a fellow trainer who worked with an Australian Shepard named Smack, who only likes to listen to his owner. Farnsworth discussed how herding breeds have a natural good sense of group, “We have to let go of our ego… It comes naturally to the dogs, it doesn’t come naturally to the handler.” Training is individualized per dog, since each dog has a different amount of eye use, power, and confidence. “Meet the dog where they’re at, not where we want them.”

Barn hunt was an event hosted at the Expo where dogs had to find a tube with a well-cared-for rat inside. The rat tubes were hidden in a pile of hay, along with tunnels and stacks of hay bales. Dogs had to give a signal to their owner if they found a rat tube, then the owner would call out “Rat!” pick up the tube, and hand it gently to a judge. Similarly scented litter tubes were scattered around as a challenge, as dogs had to not signal when they found the litter. In each hunt, the dogs had to find all the rat tubes, jump on at least one bale, and go through at least one tunnel.

North America Diving Dogs had a hit competition where the owners threw a toy, and the dogs would jump off a platform to catch it and “dive” into a pool. Dogs competed to leap the furthest in their dive.

Other events include enrichment, agility, Happy Ratters, K9 training, rally, rescue, speedway demos, testing, and therapy dog potential tests. Various sellers and informational vendors set up booths in the marketplace, selling bandanas, leashes, harnesses, homemade treats, and more. Woofs for Warriors, Inc. had an informational booth about ESA dogs and how veterans can potentially get their own.

A “Meet the Breeds” section was set up, highlighting different breeds and more information on each of them. Breeds chosen include the American bully, russel terrier (no jack in front!), hound, heeler, spaniels, mini American shepherd, bichon frise, puni, standard poodle, and cane corso. The three attending cane corsos were happy to greet visitors, get lots of butt scratches, and give kisses.

This was the first year the Canine Expo was hosted, with plans to turn it into an annual event. All exhibitors are grateful for everyone attending and helping make the Expo a community event. For more information, visit https://www.nyscanineexpo.com/event-type/speedway/

A dog competes in a race at NYS Canine Expo

Attendees bring their dogs through a parkour workshop hosted by NYS Canine Expo

Cane Corso exhibit at NYS Canine Expo

Cherry Hill Training Center brings guests through a herding demonstration

Guests learn about various breeds at NYS Canine Expo

Jesse the standard schauzer hunts for a rat tube at NYS Canine Expo

Agility course at NYS Canine Expo

Lei Rowan giving a cane corso at a Meet the Breed booth lots of butt scratches

Remember to Subscribe!

Bulldogs Demolish Johnstown

Landon Hulslander #20 takes the handoff during C-R’s crushing win over Johnstown. Photos by Robert Duso.

Quarterback Cayden Cernauskas #9 launches one downfield. He passed for 132 yards, one for a touchdown. Photos by Robert Duso.

Johnstown got away with a few holds and pass interference calls.

Quarterback Cayden Cernauskas #9 pitches the ball to Landon Yatrakis #11, who was supposed to get the ball to Cam Jackson #5, but missed. Cam wound up diving on the ball to retain control.

After being tackled Johnstown fumbled the ball, Landon Yatrakis #11 picked it up and ran 35 yards to the endzone for Cobleskill touchdown, bringing the score to 37. Bulldogs with an impressive win 38 to 6. Photos by Robert Duso.

Remember to Subscribe!

Landis Arboretum Hosts Appreciation Luncheon for Volunteers

By Lei Rowan

ESPERANCE – On Sunday, Landis Arboretum hosted its annual volunteer appreciation luncheon from 12-2pm in the Nicholas J. Juried Meeting House. With a good turnout, the Arboretum dedicated the first hour to lunch with bread, soups, salads, cookies, cider donuts, seltzers, and ciders offered.

The Arboretum is a non-for-profit organization run by the committee’s president Jim Paley alongside executive director Fred Breglia and volunteer coordinator Susan Strangia. They, along with many volunteers, excel at Landis to preserve native flora and benefit the local ecosystem. They also host weddings on weekends at the pavilion.

At 1pm, Jim Paley began speaking. “We’re so lucky to have a great base of volunteers,” he stated. Paley's portion was brief before turning it over to Fred Breglia, who has been at the Arboretum for roughly 28 years. Breglia expressed how grateful he is that people come to volunteer and don’t expect monetary payment. Susan Stranglia also came to express her gratitude for all the volunteers.

The first award given was the Volunteer of the Year award. This was given to Jodi Gregory for going above and beyond, as well as coming to volunteer almost every weekend at Landis. The Barne and Nobles book store grew a lot with Gregory’s help and dedication.

The Great Oak Award was chosen based on long term service. Shawn and Ann Bevins both received this award for years of volunteering at the Arboretum. Breglia stated these two had been there longer than him. “The whole family believes in service,” Stranglia stated.

A new award category was created this year; the Youth Award was given to Freddy and Micheal Breglia, who both started coming to Landis and kept more to themselves before starting to explore more and volunteer. There’s hopes for the category to grow with young volunteers. “We want to see more youth welcomed into the Arboretum,” Fred Breglia said.

The last award given out was the Fred Lape Award for Excellence in Buildings and Grounds. Jim Paley received it, who was initially hesitant to accept, wanting the award to go to a volunteer. But Fred Breglia insisted Paley get the Fred Lape Award. Paley has always checked in on others and dedicated himself to the betterment of Landis, he spoke about building the deck, installing solar panels to get the electricity bill to zero, replacement of the plywood floor of the Nicholas Juried Meeting House, replacement roofs on several buildings, and how appreciative he is of volunteers. “It wasn’t all done by myself, I had help,” Paley told attendees. He also talked about working with Nicholas Juried for funding of Landis and the Juried Meeting House. Once they contacted them with estimated costs, the projects “really took off.”

Paley is also very grateful to Vijaya Luxmi for kick starting several projects. Luxmi has a dedicated tree at Landis as well. She spoke after Paley finished, “It started looking like the Indian village I grew up in … it belongs to all of us.” Luxmi gave a scarf to Paley and Breglia and shared a bit about her culture.

Stranglia, Paley, and Breglia gave another huge “thank you” to all the volunteers. “Thank you for all the work in the past, and the work in the recent and future,” Stranglia concluded. Volunteers were invited to take the flower centerpieces home.

Paley did a brief Q&A. Gus Polli, volunteer and ambassador along with his wife Louise Polli, used the opportunity to give his own thank you and encourage people to keep volunteering and making change. “The more people we can get here… it’s a hidden gem.”

Landis has a bi-annual plant sale, the weekend after Mothers Day and the weekend after Labor Day. They also rent out buildings for weddings, memorials, celebrations, and corporate functions. There are informational native plant trails, sculptures, and a book store on the beautiful 40-acre property. Upcoming events the Arboretum is hosting are all posted on their website.

For more information, contact the Landis Arboretum at info@landisarboretum.org, call (518) 875-6935, or visit https://landisarboretum.org.