The Mountain Eagle

12/19/24

Whittling Away with Dick Brooks - Letter to Santa

Written By The Mountain Eagle on 12/19/24 | 12/19/24

Dear Santa,

How are you? It's me again, for what--the eightieth time or so. How is the missus, all the boys in the shop and the reindeer? I hope this letter finds all in good health and good humor.

It's been a busy year since I last wrote to you. Our family has been blessed for the most part with good health or is at least on the road to recovery, anyway, compared with others we know, we have nothing to complain about.

Our Princess continues to grow in strength and beauty. She is now engaged to a wonderful young man and intends to be married in the coming year. My Queen rules our domain in her usual cheerful, benevolent manner, so all is well in our little world. The boys move further into manhood and still haven't become a burden to society and our granddaughter is still the brightest star shining in Texas. Please pass my heartfelt thanks along to The Big Guy the next time you see him and thank you for any part you may have played in this matter.

This is the part on the letter where I used to list what I wanted for Christmas, you know, the important stuff! The older I get, the shorter my list gets as I continue to realize how much I have and how little I really need. I'm not going to continue to ask for that pony because I realize now who's going to be the clean-up crew. I now know that no matter how hard you try, that Corvette that I always have asked for isn't going to fit in my stocking in spite of the ample size of my tootsies. I guess on a personal level, I'd like things to continue moving smoothly down life's sometime-not-smooth road. Keep us under your wing and traveling towards good health. That's about it for us, short list!

Maybe now that my list is two or three pages shorter, you may have a few extra moments to spare. Could you maybe concentrate on some of the folks around who could use a little extra help. There's a lot of people worried about loved ones in harm's way overseas, could you spend a little time helping smooth that mess out so they can come home. There are a whole bunch of hungry folks out there who could use a helping hand too, some of them don't live too far away either so maybe it wouldn't be a whole lot of extra work to make sure the little ones don't go to bed hungry. There are people who are going to be alone for the holidays, it really wouldn't take much time for a quick visit and would mean so much. Some of them haven't talked to you for a great many years and it would do them good. If you don't have time for a lot of visits, maybe you could lift the fogs that sometimes cloud their past, even just for Christmas Eve, and let them warm their souls with the memories of Christmas Past. It would mean so much. I'm hopeful that your annual visit will spread a little happiness and love around. Our country could use all it can get. It might help end some of the unhappiness and anger that's so prevalent. If it's not asking too much, could you spread some old fashioned politeness around. There's way too much rudeness and anger in our country.

Well, I've taken up enough of your time, I do so enjoy our yearly visit and I do try my best to keep you in my heart all year around, but then, you know that. Thank you so much, my old friend and with you helping, maybe this year that "Peace on Earth" thing will finally work.

Love you!

Dick Brooks

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Why Art? - Political Art/Art Activism

OSMOS Station, Dec. 14th, Stamford, NY

By John Halpern

Part 1 of 2

There are those who would have it that “all art is political” and those who would say “everything we do is a political act.” There are those that say “everyone is an artist,” (Originally attributed to German artist Joseph Beuys/co-founder of the European Green Party). And it is said that the historic “Siddhartha,” the first Buddha, said, “Everyone is a Buddha.”

Taking this apart requires layers of analytic deconstruction or contemplation. I’ll describe only a bit. I’ve interviewed over 100 artists, activists, spiritual teachers, celebrities and political activists around the world, delving into these topics.

In the 1970’s it became more frequent to see celebrities using their public personas to campaign for social, political and environmental causes or issues. George Harrison, a Beatle star, hosted Benefit Concert for Bangladesh, New York. Millions were raised from the concert album sales. Most Bangladeshi taxi drivers know about the concert from their grandparents. The campaign resulted in the liberation of now, a sovereign Bangladesh from then Pakistan.

A recent TUNING FORK LIVE program hosted film director Susanne Rostock about her film FOLLOWING HARRY, where Rostock followed Harry Belafonte’s human rights activism for 14 years prior to his death. Human rights was the chain of command in Belafonte’s entertainment career.

George Harrison and the musicians that joined the concert, like Dylan and Eric Clapton, were not politicizing their music. Some were creating politically motivated music in protest of social inequity, racism, etc. McCartney wrote the Black Bird song because of the discrimination he witnessed in the US, on tour in the 1960’s. Leonard Cohen wrote about apocalyptic realities and their sources.

Did we at those times think of this as “political art or activism?” Mostly we thought that that was what artists did. There was a perspective that “art can change your life.” Not the lives of the artists making it, but the lives of everyday people exposed to art.

Something has happened in our world.

Leonard Cohen’s prophetic song, The Future anticipated much of what we see happening in the world today. The lyrics, “You see a woman hangin upside down, her features covered by her fallen gown and all these lousy little poets coming round tryin to sound like Charlie Manson, and the white man dancin,” speaks of the degradation of human values, the exploitation of industry on the common person, of alienation and the ruin of our natural world.

So, maybe art is political, at least some art – but what is politics?

Surely the theatrical display of corporately sponsored, lobbied and financially motivated politicians cannot be real politics. It seems more like “entertainment politics,” not politics that is meant to serve the people.

Art that serves the people is “real politics.” Art inherently does serve people, whether it is self expressive or socially engaged, as much of the art today is.

Some art is made for the art industry. In the past Industrial Art referred to learning skills like welding or shop work at school. Why isn’t the “made for industry art” today not called Industrial Art? Would that erode the value of art made for the art industry? Would calling made for industry art “Industrial Art” be an act of political art – in criticism of the art market, the market that requires Art Stars and the inevitable competitive narcism and vanity of artists, collectors and art institutions from art schools to galleries to museums? I think that would be a real political statement. Don’t you?

And then there’s the topic of Art Politics, where in the process of trying to advance in the conventionally accepted “art world,” – to make it, we pathetic, corporately programmed and driven artists clamor and claw our way to success, climbing over the carcasses of fellow artists through nepotism, favoritism and selling our souls.

Mind you, this is not a condemnation. It is a simple and empathetic observation. It is analytic deconstruction and contemplation.

If “everyone is an artist” it requires that we take stock of the programming that divides you from me. The programing demands that I adhere to a self image, all the time, reifying my identity and using all the available resources to maximize my ego power to dominate daily life situations. To have concrete, fast opinions. To judge others when we disagree and to condemn myself when failing to take advantage. Where love is transactional, manipulated and performative.

Being a real “artist” requires that we free ourselves from this programing, change our inner lives, projections of our skewed realities and perceptions of the world.

OSMOS Station in Stamford is one of several outposts beyond the art industry here in rural New York State. Their current artist residency program (see photo) included a conference last weekend where local residents met with a collaborative group of artists, a lawyer, curator, an economist and others to devise or invent a legal contract protecting artists and engaging art collectors in a new economic paradigm. Their ongoing conversation is a collective contemplation requiring analysis of past economic models and scenarios that could impact creative process and the business and exchange of art.

NEWS: Diamond Hollow Books has reopened in Andes. It, like OSMOS is where art thrives.

In Part 2: the difference between activism and re-activism (or blindly reacting to an out of balance world while being oneself, out of balance)

OSMOS Info: www.Artsrec.org

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Year-Long Poaching Investigation Ends in Arrests and Conviction – Greene County

Illegal deer poaching captured on doorbell camera in Greene County, November 2023

On Nov. 16, 2024, ECOs ended a year-long investigation with the apprehension of two New Jersey residents suspected of illegally taking a deer in the front yard of a residence in the town of Lexington.

In November 2023, ECOs Palmateer and Smith responded to complaints from a homeowner who reported receiving an alert on his ring camera that captured a deer being shot and collapsing in his driveway. The surveillance video also showed two subjects back a black pick-up truck into the driveway before they finished killing the animal, loading it into the truck, and driving away.

Lieutenant Glorioso, along with ECOs Palmateer, Smith, and Hameline used several investigative techniques in the following months to narrow the subject vehicle down to a pick-up truck registered to a subject residing in New Jersey.

On Nov. 16, opening day of the 2024 Southern Zone regular firearms season, Officers Palmateer and Smith located the suspect’s vehicle parked along a roadway at a public hunting property in the town of Lexington. Officers followed the vehicle back to a nearby hunting camp where they identified the driver as the same individual in the ring camera video. The Officers then found the other subject at the hunting camp.

The subjects, both residents of New Jersey, admitted to illegally shooting and killing the deer from the roadway the previous year. ECOs charged the pair with possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, taking a deer from a public roadway, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, illegally killing a white-tailed deer, and failing to properly tag the deer. Officers discovered an untagged seven-point buck at the hunting camp, which also resulted in another charge for failing to tag deer as required by law.

On Nov. 22, 2024, both subjects pleaded guilty in the Town of Lexington Court and paid fines totaling $2,500. DEC thanks New Jersey Conservation Police and the New York State Police Forensic Multimedia Service Unit for assisting in this investigation.

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Village of Tannersville Accepting Bids for $500,000 Municipal Solar Project

By Max Oppen

Tannersville – The Village of Tannersville is once again seeking bids for a municipal solar energy project that could save taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars annually. This is the second time in more than three years that the project has been put out to bid, following delays caused by changes in the Village administration. The deadline for submissions is January 3, 2025, according to Village Clerk Robin Dumont. Applications are available on the Village of Tannersville's website.

The project was originally proposed in 2021 as part of the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) by the Tannersville Local Planning Committee, with support from state agencies, including the NYS Department of State, NYS Homes and Community Renewal, Empire State Development, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

The committee, co-chaired by former Mayor Lee McGunnigle and Todd Erling of the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation, included a mix of local business owners, school officials, and community leaders. Among them were Ryan Chadwick, owner of Boathouse Restaurant; Sarah Slutzky, Director of Skier Services at Hunter Mountain; and Nate Jones, Superintendent of the Tannersville/Hunter School District. A municipal solar system was identified during stakeholder workshops as a key priority for reducing taxpayer costs and promoting sustainability.

The proposed system would install solar panels at four locations: Village Hall, the pavilion at Rip Van Winkle Lake, Gooseberry Creek Park, and a new trailhead parking area. According to Village DRI documentation, the project will cover all municipal power usage, including streetlights, and is expected to take 10 months to complete.

Former Mayor Lee McGunnigle expressed frustration about delays in implementing the project. "I secured $500,000 for the Village Solar Project to offset the electric use of the municipality," McGunnigle said. "It would eliminate the electric bill for the Village taxpayers. When I left office, we had a bid for $497,000, so the project should have been completed."

McGunnigle said his administration had secured a bid in 2021, but the new administration rejected it. "They're going to give a bunch of excuses, but the buck stops with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor," McGunnigle said, referring to current Mayor David Schneider and Deputy Mayor David Kashman. He also emphasized that Governor Kathy Hochul wanted the project completed on the original timeline, adding, "The two years they haven't had solar panels put in have cost taxpayers at least $120,000 in electric costs."

In 2021, Solar Communities, Inc. (DBA SunCommon) submitted two proposals in response to the Village's initial bid request. The first was a $405,000 base proposal for a combination of roof-mounted and ground-mounted solar systems at four municipal sites. The second proposed a more extensive ground-mounted system at the water treatment plant. Both proposals promised long-term positive cash flow but were rejected by the Village, which cited higher-than-expected costs and the desire for immediate cash-positive results through DRI funding. According to the DRI documentation, the base proposal would generate positive cash flow by Year 16, with the alternate proposal doing so by Year 17.

Mayor David Schneider, who took office in April 2023, says his administration is now moving forward with the project after receiving a state contract. "We have not lost any time or savings for Village residents," Schneider stated.

Schneider clarified that he was not in office when the original bids were rejected. "As Mr. McGunnigle should know, all these projects are subject to contracts with New York State, and we cannot start them until we have said contracts," he said. Schneider added that his administration received the state contract for the solar project about a month ago, enabling them to proceed with a new Request for Proposals (RFP).

He also disputed McGunnigle's timeline, noting that McGunnigle remained in office until March 2023, meaning it was McGunnigle's administration, not his, that rejected the solar project in 2021.

The updated plan excludes the water treatment plant at 195 Leach Drive, which lies outside the DRI boundaries. Instead, a solar installation at a new trailhead parking area at the intersection of Railroad Avenue, South Main Street, and Spruce Street has been added.

The solar project aligns with Tannersville's broader sustainability goals, aiming to reduce the Village's carbon footprint and reinvest savings into green initiatives. These include connectivity improvements to encourage walking and biking within the Village.

The project promises several benefits:

Short-Term: Covering 100% of municipal electricity needs, significantly reducing taxpayer costs and the Village's carbon footprint while easing the strain on the power grid.
Mid- to Long-Term: Freeing up resources for other public projects and inspiring broader community action on climate change.

Despite its potential, the project has drawn mixed public reactions. According to a DRI survey, 50% of respondents supported the solar initiative, citing its importance for environmental leadership and sustainability. However, others questioned whether alternative funding sources should have been considered and whether the project aligns with downtown revitalization efforts.

Cost estimates for the project's three solar sites were based on SunCommon's 2021 proposals, while projections for the solar canopies at the trailhead parking area were developed using industry best practices.

By moving forward with the project, the Village of Tannersville hopes to establish itself as a leader in renewable energy and sustainability, demonstrating the practical benefits of solar power while reducing costs for taxpayers.

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Traditionally Speaking…by Pat Larsen - The Re-gifting of Christmas Past

The task always seems quite tedious at the onset.

Beginning with the arduous task of setting out to choose the perfect fresh tree or lamenting, yet again, over whether this would be the year to purchase an artificial one.

By the way, it’s always the former, a Balsam Fir.

Not as a default decision, mind you, it’s just that this particular choice always won out because we never wanted to make that much of a change to what we knew to be “our” Christmas tradition.

With the tree then perched in its rightful place near the bay window, the time had come to adorn every branch with twinkling lights and all those special ornaments that were beckoning to be chosen again this year. Sometimes, I’d make a contest of it. I’d look over the assortment of colors and taunt the blue and gold ornaments, saying out loud, “maybe I’ll pick your colors this year, knowing the reds and greens would always win out again.

Before long though, I’d be totally in the groove and even the old Christmas songs and I had made friends again and I was belting out the one about Grandma’s catastrophic intersection with the reindeer's and laughing out loud yet again at the absurdity of these lyrics.

Perhaps as Baby Boomers, at some point we began to experience the whole enterprise of decorating, year after year, a bit tiring to execute. That anticipation and excitement that was present when the children lived at home was gone and now searching for the ornament hooks at the bottom of the bin left us frustrated.

Then this happened quite unexpectedly this year.

Each of the very special ornaments that I began to carefully unwrap so as to honor their delicacy, seemed to have a special message to share this year that stopped me in my haste to complete the task.

I guess it’s not surprising when I realized that now 71 Christmases later, here I was looking at ornaments that signified a time gone by and wondering just how many more " holidays" would be on the horizon.

So, as I unwrapped each ornament, suddenly right there, in the reflection of those glimmering orbs, I saw myself, all those years ago.

The shiniest of the Christmas balls spoke to the laughs of recalling seeing my Mom in her holiday apron, directing the decorating from the kitchen, as she took cookies out of the oven. There was no doubt that we’d distract her later on as we sent a spy into the kitchen to grab a handful. My poor kid sister always took the blame.

A tin full of snowflakes then presented themselves to me after all the lights were neatly placed and the ornaments had taken up their positions. That’s when the memory of my beloved Aunt Pauline’s incredible handy work of having crocheted these beautiful decorations over 50 years ago came flooding back. They were still as perfect as the day they had been gifted to us on the first Christmas we shared as a married couple. I sat for a long while with these memories and took the opportunity to thank my Aunt yet again feeling her presence as I spoke aloud.

Following this revelation, I then found some of the most precious of my holiday adornments wrapped ever so carefully. These ornaments had been gifted to me from my sister, Lisa, as a special memento of our love for each other during the last Christmas that we shared before she passed at age 34.

The emotion and the overwhelming connections were still palpable within these ornaments.

This was such a very different experience this year.

Slowing down, and to be honest, having to slow down then converging to bring me to an entirely enjoyable place.

Re-gifting isn’t so bad after all…even if many many years later.

Wishing all of my readership the very best of the Holidays coupled with the best of memories that carry you forward to what comes next for us.

Pat Larsen is a syndicated columnist. She lives in Greene County with her husband Chris and their pup Lily.

Her first book, Reflections…anything but an ordinary life is available on Amazon.com.

Please feel free to contact Pat to chat at 518-275-8686.

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The Prattsville Scoop

By Abby and Gabby

PRATTSVILLE – This will be the last Scoop before Christmas – so have a very Merry Christmas and will be in touch after the holiday. May your every wish come true and may you have a very Healthy and Happy New Year.

It was the ladies day to do Christmas shopping on Saturday in Kingston. Stephanie Brainard Braswell, Kelly (Mrs. Adam) Brainard, Stephanie Goff Marino, Cathy Brainerd Martino, Marianne Krauss and Ginny Gurley were doing their holiday shopping for their loved ones, from toddlers to the very elderly. Only the dedicated took advantage of the sales, the temperature was not conducive to going from store to store. Kelly said they had so much to do, they were ordering their lunch to go and they would eat on the run. Been there done that but not for shopping just appointments. All in all, the day came under the heading of “enjoyable” and some parts of the mission were accomplished.

In the picture of Santa’s helpers at the Stratton VAMC for the Christmas Celebration are Lana Breigle, Marianne and Johannes Krauss, Diana and Arnold Jaeger, Rebecca, Ginny and Bob Gurley, Dana Hommel and Cathy Martino, Michelle Ferrauilo and Christine VA Staff, and Nancy Orr.

Steve and Lisa Birnbaum continue to support our veterans with bags and bags of assorted snack candies. The wants of those in need are fulfilled, and the candy can be the finishing touch to wishes granted.

It is amazing the number of trees and/or branches that are still actually resting on the power lines. I suppose they are just waiting for the next snowstorm to snap those lines. Take care of them now and avoid outages. We did get some rain that was very much needed.

The WAJPL Golden Agers had their holiday luncheon on Thursday at Prominence in Windham. The facility was nicely decorated and the food was very well prepared and served, everyone’s special request was granted or answered with satisfaction. It took quite a while to draw for the raffles, including $$$ and gift baskets. Congratulations to the winners. Thanks to all for the enjoyable day.

Merrill and Teddie Cline made a holiday trip to visit her brother Charlie Rion at the Firemen’s Home in Hudson on Monday. Teddie said she wishes Charlie was doing better so we wish him the best and a very Merry Christmas.

Keep Anita Creazzo in your prayers. She continues to try to get her health on the straight and narrow road to good health. We send Anita our prayers for good health. Al, her husband, is her guardian angel and she gives him high praise and thanks him for all his health. Anita’s neighbors and best friends, Pat and Tony Bifolco, have their own health issues, mostly flu like ailments. We wish you all a return to good health and in time to enjoy your families at this very special season.

On December 22 we wish Steve Haskin a very Happy Birthday. On December 23 we wish Marcia Dougherty a Happy Birthday. On December 25 we wish Chris Tompkins a Happy Birthday and a Merry Christmas. On December 28 we wish three fine ladies Happy Birthday – Jane Lane, JoAnn Haskin and Janice Cross.s Happy Birthday to Jerry Raeder on December 29. On December 30 we score a homer with Happy Birthday wishes to Kory O’Hara, Debbie Baker, Diana Jaeger and Sandy Kiley. On January 1 we wish Janet Chatfield and CarliAnn O’Hara a Happy Birthday. On January 2 it is Happy Birthday to Lana Breigle and Jim Hull. Happy Birthday to Ursula G. Lindley on January 3. Belated Happy Anniversary wishes to Judy and Steve Haskin on December 16. We wish Claudia and Ray Bracaliello a great and Happy Anniversary on December 31.

Enjoy the Holidays with family and friends.

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CD MS/HS Hosts its Give a Hoot Silent Auction

CAIRO – The Cairo-Durham Middle and High School is raising funds for the CDTA Scholarship through its Give a Hoot silent auction. Five chainsaw-carved wooden owls made by Tom Morrissey, Class of 2008 alum, are on display and still up for auction. Tom Morrissey is a local self-employed professional chainsaw carver and the Cairo-Durham Rotary Club’s President. He was recently invited to showcase his chainsaw carving during Mr. Criswell’s classes. Afterward, the seven finely carved owls Tom carved that day were given to the school for an internal silent auction.

Staff and faculty throughout the Middle and High School’s campus have the chance to bid on the five remaining beautifully carved owls. Proceeds from winning bids will go toward the CDTA Scholarship fund. One owl is auctioned every month. Bidding starts on the first day, and bidding ends on the second Wednesday of the same month. Faculty and staff can find a sign-up sheet in the art room, E-7.

The owls are currently on display near the gymnasium.

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A Wee Bit of Ireland in Greene County

Seamus Balfe (Far right) with a group of Irish musicians

Far left - Tom with a group of Irish musicians

By Sarah J. Nachin

One doesn’t expect to travel halfway around the world and hear mention of a tiny village in the Catskills. However, that happened to me in September on a trip I took to Ireland. Our tour stopped at a Jack Meade’s Pub, a small watering hole near the city of Waterford for a private show given by local musician Tom Comerford.

Tom regaled us with songs−some well-known traditional Irish ballads, such as “Danny Boy,” and some humorous songs, such as “Long Way to Tipperary.”

He related funny anecdotes, such as the one about the Irish Navy. You didn’t know there was an Irish Navy, did you? And some personal stories about his life as a professional musician.

When he mentioned East Durham, New York, my ears pricked up. Tom has been coming to our area almost every year since 1994 when his former band, The Whole Shabang, was invited to perform at the East Durham Irish Festival. Besides Ireland and the United States, he has toured in the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Tom started playing professionally in 1989 when he was twenty-one and is skilled in both bass and guitar. His appreciation of music probably came about because his mother used to sing while doing her daily chores around the house. Tom’s clear tenor voice shines through in all the songs he performs.

His love of his music, entertaining crowds, and interacting with people of all stripes is evidenced by the enthusiasm he displayed at our private show. He has a large repertoire of songs, so each performance is fresh to him. Besides Irish music, Tom performs songs from a multitude of genres. These include Country (Randy Travis’ “Forever and Ever Amen”), Classic Rock (The Eagles’ “Take it Easy”), and Pop (The Carpenters’ “Top of the World”). Each song he makes his own.

Part of his repertoire is “Forty Shades of Green.” Not to be confused with the best seller steamy novel “Forty Shades of Grey!” The late Johnny Cash was inspired to write this song when he fell in love with the Emerald Isle on a visit to Ireland in 1959.

When asked what he finds most rewarding about his career, Tom replies, “Entertaining an audience, who are there to be entertained, when they made a conscious decision to come and see YOU. That’s a great night and there’s no better feeling.”

The good news is that you won’t have to travel to Ireland to hear him sing and you won’t have to wait long. He’ll be hosting the annual Tom Comerford gathering at The Shamrock House in East Durham, March 7th to 10th next year.

One of Tom’s best friends is local booking agent Seamus Balfe, who promotes Irish musicians all across the United States. These range from Irish Folk music performers to traditional Irish Celtic music artists−a genre you associate with Enya− and anything in between. Seamus books these musicians for bar gigs, festivals, theaters and other venues.

Both Seamus and Tom agree that one of the most common misconceptions people outside of Ireland have about Irish music is that it’s just drinking songs or sorrowful ballads. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Traditional Irish Folk music is composed of Celtic melodies dating back to the First Century, C.E. as well as those of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It is similar to the traditional music of Scotland and has influenced Bluegrass and Country music in the United States.

Then there are the ballads and songs that tell a story, such as “Molly Malone” and “The Wild Colonial Boy.” Some of the more modern Irish music of the 19th through the early 20th Century expressed feelings of rebellion against rule by England and could be considered “protest songs.”

Later in the 20th Century, songs such as “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” and “Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral,” (Also known as “An Irish Lullaby”) were written by Americans and became popular in both countries. And then, we have Irish musicians, such as Van Morrison and Sinead O’Connor, much of whose mainstream music has Irish influences.

Seamus has met and helped promote some outstanding, though lesser known Irish musicians.

“I had the opportunity to travel across the country with Darren Kiely, a rising singer/ songwriter who has made it into the Irish charts on several occasions with his unique blend of Irish folk/pop.”

He has also worked on many projects alongside well-known Irish-American singing legend Andy Cooney who has been a mentor.

Seamus originally came to East Duham from Ireland eight years ago. He later discovered how much music and arts played a big role in the town and ended up moving there full-time in 2020.

“Coming to America really put me more in touch with my love for music. Promoting music and culture isn't work for me; it's more of a hobby that I love!

When not traveling around with musicians or booking them at various locations, you can find Seamus tending bar at McGrath's Pub in East Durham.

His biggest reward from what he does is seeing the joy that music brings to people.

“No matter what's going on in your life, to be able to shut off for a period and watch a show or listen to music is truly healing. Being a part of creating this is magical!”

East Durham is a very special place for Irish and non-Irish to explore, from the many pubs and resorts to the Irish Arts festivals held at the Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural and Sports Centre. They purportedly have the largest map of Ireland in the world there. The town also boasts Irish gift shops and several Irish pubs..

Seamus is a true ambassador for our area, stating, “I am blessed to be living in such a great town, and being part of Greene County which has so much to offer!”

You can see some of Tom Comerford’s performances on You Tube and listen to his songs on Spotify. To order a thumb drive with 60 of his works that include live performances of the well-known and not so familiar traditional Irish songs; modern hits, such as “Country Roads;” and numerous anecdotes email him at tcom67@gmail.com. You can also follow him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tom.comerford.79 for information on upcoming performances and photos of past performances. There is another Irish singer named Tom Comeford, so find the Facebook page with the picture that matches the one in this article.

For more information on Seamus Balfe go to www.EmeraldGigs.com or find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/seamusbalfe or https://www.facebook.com/EmeraldGigs

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Hunter-Tannersville Girls Varsity Wins Home Game Against GCR on December 17

Photos by Max Oppen, Stats by Nate Lull

Tannersville – Hunter-Tannersville Girls Varsity Basketball Defeats Gilboa-Conesville-Roxbury 47-28 for a Delaware League Win at Home.

H-T’s Saleema Poladian scored 18 points with six rebounds. H-T’s Emma Constable scored 11 points with 12 rebounds. H-T’s Lily Constable scored eight points, while H-T’s Julia Legg scored seven points for the Wildcats. Gilboa-Conesville-Roxbury’s #1 Bailey Hughes scored nine points, and GCR’s #12 Kendra Balcom scored eight points.