FLEISCHMANNS — On Saturday, December 6 at 2 PM, Skene Library in Fleischmanns will host a presentation by Catskills Hiker and Historian Paul Misko, on Woodworking in the Catskills. He will cover both woodworking in olden days here, and in modern times: harvesting the wood, milling the logs, and crafting household items. The various types of wood available in the Catskills will be discussed, and the characteristics and uses for each. Examples of Paul's work will be for sale.
Has this happened to you? You plan that special meal, as in our recent holiday, prepare favorite dishes, set your time frame for the meal, at the appointed time or almost the appointed time – if the turkey/beef/ham/lamb is done – and enjoy a wonderful dinner with your family and guests.
Then, while savoring that wonderful, fancy dessert that tops off this perfect meal, you suddenly realize that something was missing! That special molded jellied salad that got stuck in the back of the refrigerator or the green beans on the stove that had been pushed aside to use the burner it was on to make the gravy. How many special dinners are served with a part of the meal missing, but no one misses it unless it is the person who brought it. Two things collide at the same time in your mind: yes, that’s what was missing! And, darn, that was a major or favorite component of the meal and now it will have to be a leftover. And then to make you feel better and to get it out of your kitchen, you cajole your guests to “take some home for tomorrow” and package it in plastic containers and force it on your guests to take it home with them,
Hoping to avoid this from happening at the next special meal, you mentally tell yourself to make a list of the foods to be served and where they are stored. And then with all the commotion in the kitchen and people “helping” to get everything on the table before it gets cold, the list is forgotten, or lost, to be found the next day or week with only a couple of items checked off. A missing food item among the many other delectable treats at the “special” meal does not spoil the day.
I hope your “special” meal was without any disasters or forgotten items
ARKVILLE — Take time this weekend, 10 am – 4 pm to view this exhibit, Saturday through Sunday December 7, the final day of the exhibit. On Sunday, 1 to 4 pm, there will be a festive reception for artists Wilma Cook Zumpano, beading embroiderer, and Marilyn Isaacs, fingerweaver, from 1 to 4 pm. “The artists will be driving hundreds of miles to attend the reception, “ says Executive Director, Ginny Scheer, “providing a chance for anyone who attended the artists’ workshops, or enjoyed the exhibit previously, or have yet to view the exhibit, not to miss this opportunity.” The exhibit, presented by
Catskills Folk Connection, is called “Indigenous Delaware County: Lenape and Mohawk Fiber Traditions” and is taking place in the Erpf gallery at the Catskill Center, 43355 State Highway 28, Arkville NY 12406.
In a county with a very small Native American population, Catskills Folk Connection seeks to honor former Native American residents of the Catskills by featuring artists who are descendants of those nations in an exhibit of older Lenape traditions that are being rekindled and Mohawk traditional art forms updated with contemporary materials.
The exhibit includes photo demonstrations from New Paltz’s Neu Netherland Festival showing Lenape artist Kathy Haney (Oklahoma) making cordage and Theresa Johnson (Ontario) with a gallery display of her baskets, using techniques traditional to the Lenape. You will also see an exhibit of Mohawk artist Marilyn Isaacs’s regalia showing the traditional use of fingerwoven bands and sashes, plus a colorful presentation of long sashes and leg-ties that reveal the variety of diagonal patterns and color combinations that are possible in fingerweaving.
Mohawk beading artist, Wilma Cook Zumpano has shared her prize-winning embroidered works, including her rendition of an embroidered “vase”, a version of one acquired from her by the New York State Museum. Wilma attributes the uses of natural material in her man’s shoulder pouch to tradition, but she also uses contemporary “shimmery” beads on it and on many Victorian-style objects derived from designs used for over a century by Mohawk beading artists.
“We are extremely grateful” says Catskills Folk Connection’s Executive Director, Ginny Scheer, “for the funding of this exhibit and its activities – three artist workshops and an illustrated talk by Justin Wexler - by a Delaware County Arts Grant (a regrant from NYSCA, supported by Gov. Hochul and the NYS Legislature and administered by the Roxbury Arts Group), by a grant from the O’Connor Foundation, and by the generous donations of exhibit visitors and by our mailing list members.”
Come see the exhibit before all these wonderful works of art go home! Join us over the weekend for a final view of the exhibit. On Sunday, December 7, 1-4 pm, come meet the artists and take part in a party celebrating the culmination of a successful exhibit.
MIDDLETOWN – District Attorney Shawn Smith announced today that Justin Sineno, 43, of Holtsville, NY, pleaded guilty in Middletown Court on November 20, to one count of Driving a Motor Vehicle While Ability Impaired by Drugs, an Unclassified Misdemeanor and was placed on one year of interim probation. As part of his probation, he will have to attend a Victim Impact Panel, an Impaired Driver Program if eligible, and his license will be suspended.
On July 4, 2025, Margaretville State Trooper Siobhan Carey was assisting with traffic control for the fireworks when a car came through the intersection first attempting to make a left-hand turn and then a right when the driver was stopped. The driver identified as Justin Sineno then appeared to have a medical emergency when Trooper Carey conducted Standardized Field Sobriety Tests on him. After refusing EMS help, Sineno continued the SFSTs that indicated obvious signs of impairment. He was then brought to the State Police barracks where Trooper Timothy Murray, a certified Drug Recognition Expert, performed a comprehensive evaluation on the defendant and it was determined that he was impaired by drugs.
District Attorney Smith commended the diligent work of Margaretville State Troopers Carey and Murray on this case. “I am proud of the work our law enforcement team does to remove dangerous drivers from our roads. DWI cases require a lot of work from the arresting officer. Troopers Carey and Murray have demonstrated their willingness to successfully take on those challenges.”
Senior Special Assistant District Attorney David Rikard prosecuted the case.
Patricia Wadsley
MARGARETVILLE — The Longyear Gallery opened its 15th Annual Holiday Invitational Exhibition on November 21, and the hundreds of attendees who descended on Margaretville’s longest running gallery, and the 151 pieces which make up this current show, made this year’s holiday kickoff their biggest Invitational event ever.
“Yes, it was quite a squeeze.” Says Deb Ruggerio, who organized the show along with Longyear members Gail Freund and Bonnie Mitchell. “We had the most attendees and the most number of works that we’ve ever put up on our walls at one time. People arrived to see what their fellow artists did, what their friends and relatives did and many arrived just to share in the goodwill and the upbeat atmosphere of the opening. We were eager to show work new to our gallery and display these works side by side with our gallery members.”
The result is an exhibit that’s a feast of form, color: and excitement, showing a broad range of styles, techniques and materials: fiber art, sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, mixed media assemblages, ceramics, and 3D video imagery, in styles ranging from realism to abstract expressionism, to humorous, campy images one might see in the panels of graphic novels. In past years the event was directed by member Elaine Grandy, longtime Catskills resident and close friend of organizer Bonnie Mitchell. Grandy died tragically in a fire right after last year’s event.
“We wanted to carry on,” says co-organizer Gail Freund. “We wanted this to be in honor of her.” This year’s Holiday Invitational Exhibit is a product of long range planning and a lot of gathering of Grandy’s notes from past years.
“A lot of hands went into this effort,” says Freund. “In early summer, we contacted all the member artists of Longyear and asked them to invite artists they thought might participate. They asked friends and colleagues they had known for years as well as artists they’d seen in homes, studios and shows all over. We wound up with 71 invited artists and 151 works including those of member artists.”
Longyear Director Wayne Morris likens the result to a carnival. “The quality might be uneven but that’s part of the joy of it.”
Emerging and seasoned artists who are new to Longyear are juxtaposed with members. As well as seeing new works to the gallery, frequent visitors can see how Longyear members have evolved.
“When I first became aware of the Longyear, I thought it was this little folksy gallery,” says Morris. “But it’s so much more than that. Many Longyear members have used this as a launching pad.”
“I think Elaine would be really happy to see this show.” Says Mitchell.
I think she would be pleased. “
The Longyear Gallery is a Members co-op and one of the first galleries in Delaware County, preceded only by the Roxbury Arts Group.
Established in 2007 by Helene and Frank Manzo, it was the first year-round gallery in Delaware County, and is still one of the biggest. As a co-op, the members run the shows, do their own social media and advertising and manage the gallery.
“I love to sit in the gallery and have people ask me questions about the pieces on the wall,” says Deb Ruggerio. They’ll ask “What’s a monoprint? How was this done?”
The members also vote on new members when there are openings.
“We are looking for new blood,” says Morris.
“The art scene up here is booming,” says Membership Chair Robin Halpern. “I remember when I first came here and 90% of the art work was landscapes. “It’s not like that now.”
Halpern says that Longyear looks for members with a solid art practice. To look at the backgrounds of many of the members, however, it’s plain to see that they come from many sorts of disciplines and unusual backgrounds. Gail Freund for example, was an illustrator and design director for a costume jewelry company in New York City before heading full time into her art practice. Bonnie Mitchell was a psychotherapist with a passion for photography but little formal training before she joined the gallery. Ruggerio, like many of the artists in the Catskills area, is a retired art teacher, in her case, for the New Jersey public school system.
“There is no specific time to apply for membership,” says Halpern. “We fill the spots when they come up.”
Stop by Longyear to see what’s on view—and to apply for membership, contact robinhalpern@gmail.com
The 15th Annual Invitational Exhibit runs through January 4 at the Longyear Gallery, in Margaretville’s Commons Building, with entrances on both Main and Walnut Streets.
By Robert Brune
ANDES — This past week, leading up to Thanksgiving weekend, the Andes Hotel worked diligently to create the look of a full-scale gingerbread house. The mammoth Christmas tree in Andes, which rivals major holiday displays across the region, drew hundreds to the hamlet. It has become a signature event for families and friends who come to enjoy the joy of community and a dreamlike Christmas atmosphere.
The parade began later than celebrations in nearby towns, giving visitors the chance to attend more than one gathering. As evening settled in, several dozen Christmas carolers filled the Andes Hotel front porch, their harmonies carrying down Main Street. DJ Tito kept spirits high with a lively mix of holiday classics that added to the festive pace.
Temperatures were friendlier than in past years, with a balmy thirty degrees creating a pleasant setting as the parade moved through town. Andes Hotel owner Derek Curl led the procession on a flatbed, wearing his traditional white fuzzy coat and hat. His arms were stretched toward the night sky as he greeted the crowd with his familiar smile and warm cheers.
Children waited with excitement for Santa Claus, many with eyes fixed on the end of the parade route. When Santa arrived, he jumped from the Andes Fire Department truck into a crowd of eager families. He greeted children with hugs and high fives before settling at the foot of the towering tree. As the music from the porch faded, Curl guided the hundreds gathered in a communal singing of Silent Night, a tradition that has become central to the event. A countdown followed, and the lighting of the tree drew gasps from the crowd as twinkling lights illuminated the center of Main Street. Families then moved closer for photos with Santa and a few last conversations before the outdoor festivities wrapped up.
The celebration continued inside the Andes Hotel, where groups gathered for karaoke versions of Christmas favorites. It was another special evening shaped by the hard work of hotel staff and the many locals who help create a memorable holiday season in Andes.
James William “Chief Jim” Todd, 86, of Fleischmanns, New York, passed away on November 28, 2025. Born on November 11, 1939, in Englewood, New Jersey, Jim lived a life marked by dedication—to his family, his community, and his principles.
Jim graduated from Fleischmanns High School and went on to serve his country with honor in the United States Marine Corps from June 26, 1958, to April 26, 1962. Following his military service, he returned home, married the love of his life, and joined the family business, AH Todd & Son. For 35 years, he worked alongside loved ones in a role that reflected both his strong work ethic and commitment to tradition.
After retiring from the family business, Jim continued to stay active in the workforce. He bartended at Choo-Choo Charlies before taking a position with the Town of Middletown Transfer Station. Remarkably, he remained employed full-time until the age of 82—a testament to his tireless spirit and unwavering dedication.
A lifelong resident of the area and a pillar of the Fleischmanns community, Jim was deeply involved with the Fleischmanns Fire Department. His many years of service included time as Chief—an honor that earned him the affectionate nickname “Chief Jim.” He also gave back to local youth by coaching Little League and organizing Ford Motor Company’s Punt, Pass & Kick competitions for many years.
Jim had a deep appreciation for local history and took great interest in preserving the stories of Fleischmanns and Griffin Corners. His passion for community heritage was matched only by his devotion to those around him. Known for being steadfast in his beliefs and unafraid to speak his mind, Jim was also known for always being there when someone needed him.
He is survived by his loving wife Jeanne; they shared a remarkable 63-year marriage built on mutual respect and enduring love. He is also survived by his son James (Dawn) Todd of Napanoch, NY; daughter Lisa (Doug) VanSteenburg of Margaretville, NY; grandchildren Aaron VanSteenburg, Nicholas (Renee) VanSteenburg, and Samantha Roberts; great-granddaughter Kelsey VanSteenburg; brother John (Sandy) Todd; sister Susan (William) Youngman; as well as nieces and nephews who will remember him fondly.
Jim was predeceased by his parents Robert and Mary Todd; brother William Todd; father- and mother-in-law Edward and Helen Tuey; brothers- and sisters-in-law Edward and Patricia Tuey and John and Franzi Tuey.
Jim’s legacy is one of hard work, loyalty, service, and strength. May his memory bring comfort to those who knew him.
Memorial visitation will be held on December 13, 2025, from 11:00 am to 01:00 pm at Hynes Funeral Home, 48 Walnut St. A funeral service will be held at 1pm.
Burial will be in the spring and at that time there will be a celebration of life reception.
November and December this year have reverted to what used to be the usual weather maybe ten or more years ago. The last several years we have been lucky enough to have lots of sunny days and lesser snowfalls than in the “old days.” And I, for one, almost forgot how miserable those days could feel. Everything was gloomy and dark. All because it just stayed so dark all the time. Dawn was reluctant and sunset thumped down like a wet, cold towel.
As I gazed out on the beautiful snowfall, I had a flashback. It used to be common that everyone fell into two groups.. the panickers and the snow chickens. The panickers would go tearing out to the supermarkets at the last possible moment, in a crowd, to buy bread, milk, and toilet paper. Empty shelves seemed the goal. Snow chickens, on the other hand, filled their gas tanks the day before the storm was due and had all the tools and snow gear lined up, prepared for the Acopalypse.
Well, this November reverted to the dark side and my attitude changed. I felt the need to keep the lights on in the house well beyond my usual habit. I even put up a couple of holiday lights. The crescendo came to all this when I gazed out at the beautiful snow fall, just beginning but already coating everything with a pristine white. I felt an urge rise in my heart.
\I grabbed the keys and my coat and scooted out the door. I was into the village in ten minutes, and pulling into the parking lot of the Town Library. Five minutes later I was on my way home with a half dozen mystery novels. There was no need for groceries or other errand running. I was home with my treasure and had my book nest set up in the window near the birdfeeder.
Every so often a perfect day can happen.
I call this day an enlightenment. I was all settled into a snug little circle of light.
Animals, and I certainly include humans, have a powerful response to light. It's essential for all aspects of their lives. The calendar and the clock command certain predestined actions from all of us in order to complete our life cycles. Humans are always yakking about themselves, so we have a great mass of information about how we react to the presence and absence of light. There are whole cultures built around the phenomenon of light. Humans being born meddlers, we have religions built around light, natural and man made. India has the festival of Duwali, a celebration of light (and noise.) It is celebrated so massively that air quality warnings are put out each day, and planes landing at the airports can smell the fireworks in the cabins before they even land.
The Arctic countries host a medly of festivities when the days shrink from sight. The wee village of Burghead in Scotland has a tradition called the Burning of the Clavie that's been a regular event since 400 AD. It involves carrying a barrel of burning oil around the village co celebrate a new year. It's only one of hundreds of fire festivals around the world, each spontaneously a human response to the fear or threat of darkness.
On a smaller scale, regional drive-through light shows and neighborhood decorating contests continue the natural urge to combat darkness. Let's all enjoy whatever version of “enlightenment” we can, and proceed happily through the holidays back into the light.
Recently, one of our facebook page members (Heidi Burns) posted a photo on our site. See it right here. She wondered what it was. Yep, it is one of those geological oddities that turns up from time to time. We would like to tell you that it is the fossil of a petrified toothy smile, but we don’t think that you are that easy to fool. No, it must be something else, but exactly what? Let’s work on that. What’s the story here?
This is not going to be a simple story. That smiley face started out as a fracture in a brown sandstone. But there is more; this fracture is filled with crystals. Those are probably crystals of quartz. Something made the fracture open up but how did that happen? Also, how did it fill with quartz? And, if we are really going back into time, then where did that brown sandstone come from? Those might sound like questions that are hard to answer, but they really aren’t. As we understand it, we have been taken back in time to when there was an ocean lying adjacent to a rising mountain range. Those mountains were rained upon, and the rainwater began a chemical transformation of the bedrock. We geologists say it was chemically weathered and converted from solid rock into soft, even squishy sediment. That sediment was washed down a steep mountain stream and into the ocean where it became a sandy sediment. There, and over a very long period of time, it hardened into rock. In this case that was the brown sandstone.
The mountain building continued, mountain building events typically span tens of millions of years. Eventually our brown sandstone was caught up in all this. All its surrounding bedrock was lifted and then folded. One of those folds, a very small one, became our smiley face. That smile didn’t just fold, it actually came to yawn! A smile shaped gap was left in the rock. Now all we have to do is fill it with quartz. How did that happen?
One way was for injections of very hot water to have risen out of the even hotter crust deep below. They filled that smiley-face gap and then cooled down. Hot water can dissolve a lot of silica but when it cools that produces crystals of quartz. We geologists have a name for these; they are called hydrothermal injections. How long does this take? The two of us have pondered this question. There is no possible solid answer. After all, we can’t go down into the earth with a stopwatch and time these things as they happen, can we? But our suspicions are that it takes quite a while. A mountain building crust is very hot and takes a long time to cool.
We have used the word pareidolia from time to time and want to bring it up once again. It’s important here. Pareidolia is the recognition of human faces in an otherwise random image. Seeing a human face on the surface of Mars is a great example. Take at look at our second illustration. Is that a Martian or just an oddly shaped small hill? You decide. Well, our earthbound smiley face is a good example of pareidolia.
Contact the authors at “randjtitus@prodigy.net.” Join their facebook page “The Catskill Geologist.” Read their blogs at “thecatskillgeologist.com.”
It’s time for Casper, The Friendly Kia to get his weekly check up. He doesn’t really need it but it’s something I’ve done for a long time and will continue to do so. It doesn’t take much time and makes me feel that I’m upholding my end of our partnership. I turn on his lights and take a stroll around his perimeter, checking the lights and the tires at the same time. I then pop the hood, check the oil, washer fluid, brake fluid, and the transmission fluid level. About the only thing that needs looking after is adding some washer fluid. Casper is so reliable and dependable that he’s almost no fun. Standing there, staring at the miles of wire and plumbing pieces that are covering his engine, my mind wandered back to a simpler time when motoring was still an adventure.
My first car was a 1936 Chevy coupe, given to me my senior year by my Dad, which he had acquired for the then handsome sum of fifty dollars. I loved it. Just slightly smaller than the Queen Mary and powered by a mighty six cylinder motor, I was the King of the dirt road we lived on. I learned just about everything I know about cars from that old Chevy. It had all those endearing features that I sometimes wish had remained standard features on today’s autos. The steering column was uncluttered, the only thing attached to it was a steering wheel the size of which can only be found today on buses and tractor trailers. The windshield wipers had their own knob on the dashboard, labeled plainly in large white letters, “Wipers”. The wipers were variable speed, driven by the car’s vacuum, the faster you went, the faster they wiped, when you slowed down, so did they. The headlights had their own knob, “Lights”. The dimmer switch for the lights stuck up out of the floor to the left of the clutch pedal and you mashed on it to turn on the high beams or to dim them. The radio was a little round dial in the center of the dashboard with a knob on each side, actually, the real radio was the large box screwed to the firewall up above the passenger’s feet that was filled with glowing tubes. The seat was comfy and about the size of the average modern loveseat. Jutting out of the middle of the floorboards was the gear shift, a three foot chunk of rebar that you used to row your way down the road. The trunk was the size of a modern loft apartment that in New York City would bring about $2000 a month in rent. I think my favorite feature was the little vent windows, you could crack them open just a bit to keep fresh air circulating or open them all the way so the air blasted you. There was a vent in front of the windshield that could be opened for even more air, handy things, I miss them.
The Discovery Channel has been running a series of programs about the cars of the future. My suggestion would be to look at the cars of the past. The universal automobile already exists. We need to bring back the Volkswagen Beatle. The Type One had it all. You could haul a bunch of folks in them, I had twenty three of my fraternity brothers in mine once. They got about forty miles to the gallon. If you bent a fender, you unbolted it, bolted on a new one and you were good to go with no huge body shop bill. They had vent windows and knobs on the dash just like my old Chevy. They were simple to work on, I broke my accelerator cable once and ran my little machine forty miles using a rubber band. My tool kit was a little metal box which contained an adjustable wrench, a roll of electrical tape, a Phillips and a regular screwdriver, some wire and a copy of “The Complete Idiots Guide to the Volkswagen”. With this simple collection of objects, I could rebuild anything on the Bug.
Casper’s one of my best friends but there’s not much I can do on him with my old tool kit, there’s nothing in it that I can use to do a diagnostic reading of his computer. Life used to be simpler.
Thought for the week—What our country really needs now is more unemployed politicians.
Until next week, may you and yours be happy and well.
Whittle12124@yahoo.com
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