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New Kingston Community Center Project Reaches Major Milestone

Written By The Mountain Eagle on 1/19/26 | 1/19/26

NEW KINGSTON — The New Kingston Community Center Project, to be located in the basement of the New Kingston Presbyterian Church, has reached an important milestone as it enters its third phase of development, driven largely by grassroots support and volunteer effort.

The project has been funded primarily through generous donations from New Kingston Valley residents, both full-time and part-time, along with support from the MTC Birdsall Foundation, the Margaretville Rotary, and extensive volunteer labor provided by the New Kingston Valley Association (NKVA).

Phase One (exterior waterproofing) was completed some months ago.  Phase Two (interior demolition) began a year ago with volunteers clearing out the basement and tearing down the walls.  The demolition was completed on January 10, 2026 after volunteer Kev Bewersdorf took down the basement ceiling and 13 volunteers swooped in to remove the final construction debris from the site.  Despite icy conditions and muddy terrain, NKVA volunteers worked enthusiastically —slip-sliding through mud and ice—to load demolition materials into a large dumpster, officially closing out the first two phases of the project.

“The energy and commitment of the volunteers was exhilarating to witness,” said Victor Lipko, a leading organizer of the project. “It truly reflects the spirit of this hamlet.”

Next Phase: Renovation of the Community Space

Phase Three will focus on the renovation of the main community space, including:

  • Insulation

  • Wall covering

  • Lighting improvements

Project leaders hope this phase will be completed in time to celebrate the annual NKVA Road Cleanup in April, marking the opening of a revitalized gathering space for the community.


Future Phases & Funding

The demolition and reconstruction of the kitchen, along with the creation of a new community office space, are planned as separate future projects and will require additional funding.

To support these efforts, grant applications are currently being prepared for organizations including:

  • The O’Connor Foundation

  • The Community Foundation of South Central New York

These grant efforts will complement the ongoing community fundraising campaign, which remains essential to completing the full vision of the New Kingston Community Center.

A Community-Built Space

The New Kingston Community Center is envisioned as a welcoming, flexible space for gatherings, programs, and shared activities—built by the community, for the community.

All those interested in contributing, volunteering, or learning more about the project can contact Annie Pevear, President of NKVA, at newkingstonvalleyassocation@gmail.com  


Thirteen volunteers celebrate finishing the clean out of the basement--soon to be the New Kingston Community Center


Glen Faulkner brings up buckets of debris from the church basement


Kathleen Conkey stirs up dust while shoveling debris 


Richard Seigel dumps debris. Photos by Dan Flanagan.





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Great Plans for MCS Fortissimo Feb. 7

By Matthew Avitabile 

MARGARETVILLE - Margaretville Central School will host Fortissimo: A Celebration of Music & Music Makers on Saturday, Feb. 7 with a snow date of Feb. 8. The event will start with a gala at 5:30 and a 7:00pm concert with proceeds benefitting the MCS Music Department. Lolly & the Pops will be performing as the house band.

MCS music teacher Jenna Tucker said that it was an “honor to get to work with these kids as they grow up.” She’s seen many students “grow so much with their confidence level, skills, professionalism, and bravery over the past three school years teaching in Margaretville.”

Tucker is in her 19th year of teaching music in public schools, including at MCS and near Cleveland, Ohio. She said that the experience at MCS has allowed her to have an “opportunity to enjoy teaching so many different kinds of music making. My daily schedule pivots from play-based music learning with the Pre-K students to concert programming with the High School Chorus, to individual voice lessons with students interested in preparing for NYSSMA, to nerding-out over early 90's grunge music with Music Appreciation.”

“No two days are the same, but the joy in music-making is always there.”

The Fortissimo event has become “such a meaningful way to connect music students with professionals in their community; all while raising enough funds to support the special projects and opportunities the students are wanting out of their music program.”
She particularly enjoys the moments behind the scenes during rehearsal time when students and professional musicians volunteering their time are together.

“It's an opportunity for the student musicians to be treated like a professional at work,” she said.

Tucker added that the funds raised from the concert “allow me to say yes to the special opportunities the students ask for, like field trips to NYC to see Broadway shows, concert attire, or hiring Artists in Residence to visit the students.”

The February event will be a spotlight of student achievement and local musical talent. 

“Visitors and parents can look forward to coming out of their February hibernation for a really special event. They'll enjoy capturing moments on the step-and-repeat, enjoying heavy appetizers in our formal gala reception in the chorus room, bidding on exciting items in our silent auction, and most importantly, seeing our community come together to support music education and music students,” she said.

“There are so many music-lovers, musicians, artists, and performers living in and around the Catskills and surrounding counties, and this event has become a hub of connection for so many folks to whom music is such a meaningful part of their life. The 7pm concert is hosted so graciously by Garth Kravits, and he does such an entertaining job of seamlessly interweaving student performers with professionals like John Houshmand on Guitar, and vocalist Kim Collison, and Lolly & the Pops.

The teacher also lauded The Margaretville Arts Center and Delaware County School of Performing Arts as essential pieces of the event. Both organizations “have not only sponsored several financial components to putting such a large-scale event together, but have donated their time and expertise as well.”

“Julia Rugg and Garth Kravits, co-founders of the DCSPA, have provided so much expertise, guidance, and support to the students themselves, the silent auction, the event setup, the rehearsal time, the advertising, and to connecting our school with the community Arts supporters,” she said.

“Most importantly, they are passionate about connecting kids in the Margaretville School Music Education program with opportunities they might not have access to otherwise; as parents of a first grader in the school, the music program is near and dear to them on a personal level, as well,” Tucker said.

Tucker added that her favorite thing about living in the Catskills is the “strong connections I feel to my neighbors and community members, and the network of folks within the Fine Arts communities here are especially supportive of one another.”

“An event like this showcases these connections and support like no other.  Adult professionals are paying-it-forward to students who are excited to take advantage of opportunities in music, people who just love seeing live music get to enjoy an eclectic menu of performance, and folks who are reliving their own memories of learning to perform or being in music class get to step inside our classroom and performance spaces,” she said.

Those who wish to join in the event can reserve tix by emailing Tucker at jtucker@margaretvillecs.org. They can also donate online directly by visiting https://www.mvillearts.com/fortissimo.






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THE CATSKILL GEOLOGISTS BY PROFESSORS ROBERT AND JOHANNA TITUS - “It’s Dead, it’s in the Middle of the Road and it’s Stinking to High Heaven” – Part Two



Last week we asked a scientific question. How had it been that when we were young, we saw many dead woodchucks along the highways. Today we see very few. Why is that? Have woodchucks evolved? Have they become more wary? Wouldn’t that be interesting? But only if we could prove it. Our notion might be called an educated guess, but it is what scientists call a “scientific hypothesis.” Scientists develop all sorts of hypotheses and always go on to see what the evidence tells them. We decided to sound out our readers on our facebook page. There are almost 10,000 of them and we have learned a lot from them in the past. We asked upstate New York people if they had seen more woodchucks in the past and were they seeing many dead ones today. This was not the gathering of statistically significant data; our results would never survive a peer review for any respectable scientific journal. But we think that such anecdotal testimonies are worth consideration. And many of our readers did provide interesting and thoughtful insights.

And we did get results; a consensus developed that, in fact, woodchucks, both living and dead, were more abundant in the past. Ten people flat out said that woodchucks had been more common back about 60 years ago. Not one person thought otherwise. We weren’t hoping for that; we rather expected that woodchucks had, all along, maintained a roughly steady population. Not surprisingly nobody thought that dead woodchucks were very common along today’s roads, so they agreed with our observations on that. But they went on to express a variety of views on why woodchucks are less common today. They were offering us what scientist call “multiple working hypotheses” And that is fundamental to the scientific process. One person suggested evolution which was our hypothesis. But the main focus among our readers was on ecology. Several thought that pasturelands favored woodchucks, but those had become less common with the disappearance of farms. More than a few thought that there were more coyotes and foxes now and that these predators were responsible for the decline in woodchucks.

We were getting a variety of interesting ideas – too many! In the end our evolution hypothesis was not doing very well. We found no evidence that actually supported it and our readers had provided us with a number of interesting alternatives. We can’t actually falsify our hypothesis, but it is not looking good. We are rather disposed to abandon it. And that is also a fundamental aspect of science. When an idea starts looking bad, we are generally inclined to give it up and pursue a new avenue. The process involved might be disappointing, but it may well lead us toward a better direction. They don’t do that in politics, do they?

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 - Just Say It

In younger days, I used to consider old people opinionated and set in their ways.  How silly that seems to me now.  I now realize that over the years you start to see things clearly and get a firmer grasp on the ways of the world and how they work.  The right and wrong of things becomes more obvious and you give up the wishy-washy ways of your youth.  You have more time to seriously consider, analyze and be annoyed by things that you took for granted or just let slip by during the more rushed times in your past.

Currently, I’m working on how the English language has changed in the past twenty or so years.  It’s a pretty good old language and has served our ancestors well for centuries.  It has changed over the years, we’ve added tons of new words and changed the meanings of tons of others.  These were changes for the good for the most part, language being a living, growing kind of thing.  The thing that annoys me is the present day rush towards euphemisms.  Remember them?  My introduction to them came in third grade came when one of my classmates tearfully reported me to the teacher for having said that she was “fat”.  She was!  Privately, the teacher agreed with my assessment of her physical size but said that there were better words to use, words that weren’t quite as rude or painful.  She suggested “Chubby, Plump or Pudgy”.  It really didn’t make a lot of sense to me since they all meant “fat” but I used them since their use allowed me access to the playground at recess time.  

Euphemisms now bloom everywhere, they’re like the dandelions of our language.  There’s even a euphemism for euphemisms, it's called being “politically correct” and it’s annoying!  The over use of euphemisms is removing the fat, sugar and spices from our language. It becomes more and more bland and boring.  

Have you noticed that there are no more old people?  They’ve been replaced by senior citizens.  Nobody dies any more, they “pass away” “cross over” “go to a better place” “expire”.  The last wake I went to was held in “The Slumber Room” at the local funeral parlor.  The guy didn’t look like he was napping, he looked dead.  Funerals are where old euphemisms hang out anyway.  The guy could have been a nasty old bugger who beat his wife, kicked his dog, drank a bottle of gin before lunch and locked his grandmother in a closet for years and somebody at his funeral will mention how attentive he was towards his wife and dog, how he supported local businesses and how overprotective he was towards his grandmother.  He “looks so peaceful” “looks like he just went to sleep” “He was so young” “He will be missed” are all phrases you’re likely to hear.  I want to have the kneeler in front of my casket wired so when someone kneels on it, a tape recording of my voice is triggered and I can be heard saying something like, “Hi, Thanks for coming, wasn’t I a wonderful person?  Don’t I look like I’m sleeping?  I’m not, you know, I’m dead.  Have a nice day”.  That would please me.  

We need to rethink some of the current popular phrases and get back to saying what we mean.  Old isn’t a dirty word, do we really need “senior citizen, golden-ager, mature adult, elderly, people of age” and so on and so on.  My third grade classmate was fat, today she’d be obese, overweight, plus sized, plump or have superfluous flesh.  Fat is a good simple word that communicates well with others.  It may not be “politically correct” but then, I’m old, opinionated and set in my ways.

Thought for the week—I’m not a person who thinks he can have it all, but I certainly feel that with a bit of effort and guile I should be able to have more than my fair share.  –George Carlin

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

Whittle12124@yahoo.com   


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Experience Guides Family-Owned Security Firm




ESPERANCE — A law enforcement veteran and a former financial executive are aiming to reshape the private security industry by bringing their family-owned firm back to their rural roots.

A&D Security Solutions, founded in 2015 by Dane and Amanda Fagan, recently relocated its focus to the Esperance area. The move marks a homecoming for Dane Fagan, an Esperance native who spent 25 years in law enforcement and security management.

“Returning to Esperance is deeply meaningful,” the Fagans said. “This community shaped [Dane’s] early life, and coming back as business owners provides an opportunity to give back in a meaningful way”.

Dane Fagan brings extensive experience in security strategy, strategic planning, and executive oversight, with a proven record of managing large-scale physical security operations, leading security officers, supervisors, and management teams, and overseeing multimillion-dollar contracts throughout his career. He has received numerous awards and professional recognition within the security industry, reflecting a sustained commitment to operational excellence and ethical leadership.

Prior to his private-sector leadership roles, Dane served as a police officer, where he received commendations and awards for his service and contributed to international investigations that resulted in arrests of foreign nationals for national security–related offenses. These experiences inform his disciplined, mission-focused approach to risk management and protective services.

In addition to his professional work, Dane is committed to community service and care. He volunteers as Chaplain for the New York State Association of Fire Chaplains and the Capital Area Fire Districts Association, and is a member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary—roles that reflect A&D Security Solutions’ core values of service, integrity, and responsibility to those who protect others.

Amanda brings a rare combination of financial expertise, emergency services experience, public service, and business leadership to the security industry. She spent over 13 years in banking and finance, where she rose through the ranks to a management role, gaining extensive experience in financial oversight, regulatory compliance, risk management, and operational leadership. Her long-term success in this highly regulated field reflects discipline, accountability, and strong decision-making skills.

Her leadership abilities were evident early in her career. At just 17 years old, Amanda became one of the youngest individuals hired as an Assistant Manager at Mrs. Fields Cookies in Rotterdam, and at 20 years old managing her own Gertrude Hawk store in Colonie demonstrating early maturity, responsibility, and strong team leadership in a fast-paced retail environment.

Her career is further distinguished by hands-on public service experience. Amanda has served as a volunteer firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), roles requiring composure under pressure, rapid decision-making, and a steadfast commitment to protecting life and property. These experiences have shaped her practical, mission-driven approach to security and risk management.

Throughout her career, Amanda has received numerous awards and professional recognitions, reflecting consistent excellence across multiple industries. She holds security licenses in multiple states, underscoring her broad regulatory knowledge and ability to operate within diverse compliance environments.

In addition to her professional background, Amanda brings extensive human resource experience, including workforce management, training, policy development, and employee relations—key elements in building reliable, professional, and accountable security teams.

Amanda also serves in an elected public service role as the Town Clerk of Esperance, where she is responsible for records management, compliance, administrative oversight, and supporting municipal operations. This role further highlights her integrity, attention to detail, and commitment to public trust.

Additionally, Amanda runs multiple side businesses, demonstrating entrepreneurial drive, adaptability, and strategic planning capabilities. Her background in business development enables her to identify growth opportunities, strengthen client relationships, and implement scalable solutions aligned with long-term organizational goals.

Amanda’s diverse experience, public service commitment, and leadership across multiple disciplines make her a valuable asset to any security organization focused on professionalism, accountability, and community impact.

Beyond their professional responsibilities, Amanda and Dane are deeply committed to charitable contributions and giving back to the local community. They actively support initiatives that strengthen local organizations, first responders, and community-based programs, reinforcing their belief that strong security organizations should also serve as trusted community partners.

The owners stated their mission is to revitalize an industry they believe has long lacked sufficient professionalism and accountability.

"Security has been operated the same way for decades," the couple said. "We personally run every part of our company... From thorough interviews and pre-screening to mandatory drug testing and reference checks, we believe that the right people make all the difference".

The firm provides specialized services for a variety of clients, including:

Commercial and Retail: Trained on-site security and theft reduction.

Construction and Industrial: After-hours patrols and monitoring of remote sites.

Events: Staffing for venues requiring dependable security.

Property Management: Scheduled patrols, welfare checks, and lock-up services.

While many firms compete on price, the Fagans noted they prioritize high-quality service and hand-selected staff over being the lowest-cost provider.

“There’s a sense of pride in being trusted—in knowing that when someone calls us, they’re relying on us to look out for what matters most to them,” the owners said. “That trust means everything."


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Another World Experience at Longyear Gallery

‘Spirited Wedding’ by Marion Behr


Bonnie Mitchell’s ‘Joy’ photograph




By Robert Brune

MARGARETVILLE — On Saturday, January 10, as milder temperatures settled over Margaretville and a light rain replaced the familiar grip of midwinter, Longyear Gallery opened its latest members exhibition. Unlike past years, this show did not ask artists to respond to a prescribed seasonal theme. Instead, member artists were invited to present work that reflects their current interests, processes, and inner landscapes. The result is an exhibition that feels expansive, personal, and rooted in dialogue rather than uniformity.

While some artists chose to carry forward visual references to winter, others moved in entirely different directions. This variety underscores the gallery’s cooperative spirit, where individual voices coexist without hierarchy. Moving through the space, viewers encounter quiet landscapes alongside abstraction, narrative painting beside photography, and works that speak as much about inner experience as the world outside. 

Several winter scenes remain present, including two works by Deborah Ruggerio. Winter Serenity offers a moment of stillness, while Snow Bliss, a pine tree rendered in white pencil on black paper, demonstrates how restraint and precision can heighten emotional impact. The monochromatic approach draws attention to form and atmosphere, allowing the viewer’s own associations to complete the image. 

Photography provides another avenue for introspection, particularly in the work of Bonnie Mitchell. Her photograph Joy invites the viewer into a layered, almost ethereal space. A softly blurred figure appears enveloped in steam, while a vertical line traced across the base of red flowers leads the eye toward a single bloom in sharp focus. The image resists a fixed narrative, instead encouraging a slow, intuitive and sensuous response. 

Mitchell describes her participation in Longyear Gallery as something she never anticipated. “It is something I never expected in my life, to be part of a gallery,” she said. Though she has been taking photographs since childhood, she does not define herself by professional labels. Becoming part of the gallery, she said, has been both a surprise and a motivation. “I really love being considered a photographer. It has made me work on this talent and produce work.” Now retired, Mitchell finds that the time and encouragement have deepened her commitment to the medium. “It has been, and continues to be, a great experience,” she said.

Reflecting on what her work has revealed to her, Mitchell spoke of discovery rather than intention. “Maybe it taught me that I am capable, that I have a good eye,” she said. “It taught me that there are still incredible surprises in this world.” When viewers engage with her photographs, she hopes for an emotional response. “I hope the work moves them,” she said, “that it creates some kind of emotion.”

Ron Macklin, known for his striking photo realism, presented Blues for Psyche, a watercolor that reflects his ongoing exploration of abstraction and myth. “Showing my work at Longyear is fantastic,” Macklin said. “Art is meant to be seen and shared, not locked away in one’s studio.” While each piece carries personal meaning, he prefers not to direct interpretation. Blues for Psyche, he noted, brings to mind the mythological story of Psyche and the emotions of love, jealousy, sadness, and redemption, but he leaves space for viewers to bring their own understanding.

Narrative energy emerges in Marion Behr’s acrylic painting Spirited Wedding. Ghostlike figures swirl around a church as two central characters reach toward one another, arms extended in anticipation. The painting feels both celebratory and dreamlike, balancing storytelling with expressive color. Behr sees visual art as a natural form of communication. “I reach out to you,” she said, “you take partly from me and partly from your own experiences.” She values Longyear Gallery for the exchanges it fosters between artists and visitors, describing that shared dialogue as central to the gallery’s identity.

Alan Powell reflected on the responsibility and opportunity of belonging to a cooperative gallery. Presenting new work regularly, he said, encourages experimentation and growth while inviting viewers to consider where each piece fits within their own aesthetic framework.

Taken together, the exhibition becomes less about a unifying theme and more about the act of offering. Each work represents an extension of its maker, placed into a shared space where meaning is shaped through viewing, conversation, and reflection. Longyear Gallery continues its mission of supporting artists of varied backgrounds and approaches, creating an environment where both artists and audiences are encouraged to look closely, think deeply, and remain open to discovery.


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The Roxbury Arts Group Announces Wintertide Film Series at Headwaters Arts Center

STAMFORD – Headwaters Arts Center invites the community to escape the winter cold with the Wintertide Film Series, a curated selection of films spanning nearly a century of cinema. Enjoy five carefully selected films on the 2nd and 4th Fridays from January thru March followed by two special evenings in April showcasing local filmmakers’ work.  Entry to the films are free and concessions like popcorn, soda, candy and hot chocolate will be available for purchase. 

The series opens Friday January 23rd at 6pm with Samsara (2011), a breathtaking visual meditation filmed over five years in 25 countries. This wordless exploration of the cyclical nature of life offers new perspectives on our world and our connections to it. On February 13, 6pm celebrate Valentine's Day with Rob Reiner’s classic The Princess Bride (1987), followed February 27, 6pm  with a Parisian thriller Charade (1963); a film starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant that blends romance, comedy and mystery.

March brings two visually stunning films at a later time.   On  March 13 at 7pm Flow (2024) an Oscar winning innovative dialogue free  animated feature that relies on music, natural sounds and imagery to tell a compelling story of a cat surviving a catastrophic flood with a menagerie of other animals.  Then on March 27, Fritz Lang's groundbreaking silent film Metropolis (1927). This German Expressionist science fiction epic set in a futuristic city (in the year 2026!) split between wealthy elites living in luxury and the suppressed working class toiling underground.    

Then in April, Local Lens Showcase will present two evenings of films by  filmmakers from our region. The Showcase on Friday April 10 will feature short films, under 30 minutes; while the one on April 24 with feature-length films. The submission form for film stakeholders, directors, writers, actors, editors is available at roxburyartsgroup.org/open-calls and due by March 7th, 2026. 

All screenings take place at Headwaters Arts Center, 66 Main Street in Stamford. While folding chairs are provided, audiences are invited to bring their own chairs or blankets for the floor to create a cozy, communal viewing experience.  Admission is free, and concessions including popcorn, soda, candy, and hot chocolate will be available for purchase. For more information please visit roxburyartsgroup.org or email programs@roxburyartsgroup.org.

This program is sponsored by Margaretville Telephone Company. 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.

Complete Wintertide Film Series Schedule:

Samsara (2011)

Friday, January 23, 2026, 6-8 PM

The Princess Bride (1987)

Friday, February 13, 2026, 6-8 PM

Charade (1963)

Friday, February 27, 2026, 6-8 PM

Flow (2024)

Friday, March 13, 2026, 7-9 PM

Metropolis (1927)

Friday, March 27, 2026, 7-9 PM

Local Lens Showcase - Shorts

Friday, April 10, 2026, 7-9 PM

Local Lens Showcase - Feature Films

Friday, April 24, 2026, 7-9 PM

All screenings:

Headwaters Arts Center, 66 Main Street, Stamford, NY

FREE admission | Concessions available for purchase

For more information:

Visit roxburyartsgroup.org or call 607.214.6040

About Roxbury Arts Group 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 ensures that artists from all walks of life and art lovers of all ages have access to quality programming and opportunities. RAG operates three venues: Roxbury Arts Center, Headwaters Arts Center, and the historic Old School Baptist Church


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