By Robert Brune
PINE HILL — Last Saturday’s clear skies and the comfortable late autumn weather seemed to smile on Pine Hill for a milestone in the Catskills. The Pine Hill Community Center celebrated its twenty fifth anniversary, and the main street of this small mountain town was filled with residents and visitors from across Ulster and Delaware Counties. For two and a half decades PHCC has served as a hub for arts and crafts groups, holiday events, live music, community meetings, and winter weekends when the Phoenicia Farmers Market relocates indoors. As Saturday’s festivities demonstrated, the center remains one of the most active cultural anchors in the Central Catskills.
Inside PHCC the main room shimmered with silver decorations, bright lights, and the sparkle of guests who embraced the theme with glittering outfits. Long tables overflowed with fruit and homemade dishes, creating a feast worthy of a major holiday. A DJ kept the dance floor lively for hours, with music rising and falling in waves as groups of friends stepped on and off to enjoy the rhythm. The celebration was completely free for the public, and the organizers thought of every detail. A professional portrait photographer worked on the main stage, capturing families and longtime friends against a festive backdrop. Children had their own play area in the back room, and it became a joyful tangle of toys, laughter, and new acquaintances. The sense of welcome was unmistakable from the moment one stepped through the door.
Among the evening’s highlights was a conversation with Pine Hill native and PHCC founder Florence Hamling. Florence and her late husband Bernie donated the building twenty-five years ago, setting the foundation for what the center would later become. Florence reflected warmly on the beginning.
“My husband bought this building in 1995,” she said. “He had a main business in Florida but he loved having a weekend place here. He was thinking of selling it at one point, but after a tragedy in town everyone gathered here. I said to him, this place could be a community center, why not? He had the resources and I had the interest. It was a good combination.”
Bernie passed away ten years ago, yet Florence continues to stay involved and remains deeply proud of what the center has grown into. She spoke with affection about the volunteers who keep programs running and about the directors who have guided PHCC through the years.
“It is a group of people,” she said. “That is why we are successful. This town needs a place like this, and we have wonderful volunteers. We have had several directors over the years, but Colleen McMurry is the best we have ever had. The energy here is real.”
Florence also noted how wide the center’s reach has become. “It is called the Pine Hill Community Center, but people come from Phoenicia, Arkville, Margaretville, and beyond. The whole Central Catskills uses this place. For a small town, that means everything.”
Her pride is rooted not only in the present but in a lifetime in Pine Hill. She grew up in town, raised by a single mother, and often mentions that contributing to PHCC is her way of giving back to a place that shaped her childhood. “This town was special to me,” she said. “When I had the chance to do something for it, I wanted to take it.”
PHCC also serves as a lively arts destination, thanks in part to volunteers like curator Brett Rollins, who spoke during the event. “I volunteer to curate the gallery program here, which is just one part of the many arts programs going on,” he said. “We have live music, art classes, workshops, and even a working ceramics studio. This is one of the artistic hubs of the Catskills. What happens here is amazing and people should come experience it.”
The heart of the celebration echoed the center’s mission, which is to offer a welcoming space where people exchange ideas, connect with each other, and engage with the unique beauty and history of the Catskills. The turnout on Saturday reflected a community that values both creativity and shared purpose. The warmth of the crowd, the joy on the dance floor, and the ease with which newcomers blended into the festivities all spoke to what PHCC has built over twenty-five years.
As the evening wound down, Florence looked out over the room with a quiet smile. The lights shimmered, the last songs pulsed through the speakers, and children continued playing with the last of their energy. The scene offered its own answer about the future. With dedicated volunteers, strong community support, and a mission rooted in inclusion and creativity, the Pine Hill Community Center is poised to continue its work for many more decades.
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