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01_TOC_Spring_16 qxp_01_TOC_Summer_06 2 21 16 9 56 AM Page 1 TOC SPRING 2016 VOLUME 31 NUMBER 1 4 95 F E A T U R E S D E PA R T M E N T S 2 KAAT CHAT and AREA MAP 4 360 DEGREES and LETTERS 32 KAATSKILL GEOLOGIST ROCKS OF AGES by Johanna and Robert Titus 40 KAATSKILL HIKING KAATERSKILL FALLS WHAT S GOING ON by Peter Senterman 46 KAATSKILL TREES BLUE SPRUCE UNHAPPY in the CATSKILLS by Ryan Trapani 52 KAATSKILL LODGINGS AND DINING EXPERIENCING THE PLACE at THE NORTH BRANCH INN by Nina Lawford Juviler and staff 64 KAATSKILL KRITTERS THE BELLIGERENT BLACK FLY by Nicholas Zacharczenko D D S BOOKS IN REVIEW 62 A POET S GIFT ACROSTIC WOODSTOCK POEMS BY WILL NIXON reviewed by Marilyn Milow Francis 10 RUNNIN with the RAT RODS by Russ Patton Jr 16 THE BORDENS of WALLKILL by Lawrence C Swayne M D 26 LAKE MANAGEMENT DEGREE PROGRAM ATTRACTS STUDENTS by Nancy Mueller Holly Waterfield Willard Harman Member INTERNATIONAL REGIONAL MAGAZINE ASSOCIATION

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02_KaatChat_Spring_16 qxp_02_KaatChaSummer 2 21 16 9 42 AM Page 1 Kaat Chat Now into a new year we pause to reflect on those who are no longer with us but whose contributions to our magazine and or the Catskills community deserve our recognition We had the privilege of knowing three of the four men we recall Of KL contributors we acknowledged in our Winter 2015 issue the passing in November of Otsego County resident Niles Ward Eggleston a writer community benefactor and local historian Then we learned of the loss in late December of David W Bouton a Delaware County resident whose special interest in the natural world as presented in his articles and captivating images greatly enhanced our own knowledge We are grateful that each was a part of our KL community The performing arts community mourned the passing on January 9 of Peter Macris a native of Buffalo New York who after arriving in Otsego County in 1964 will be remembered for having cultivated the county s artistic infrastructure His accomplishments were numerous He founded the Catskill Choral Society Orpheus Theater Foothills Performing Arts Center and was a founding member of Glimmerglass Opera entities cited as four cornerstones of the arts in Otsego County His modest and humble demeanor belied his drive and passion for the arts which rightfully entitle him to be remembered as a true visionary of our time Henry S F Cooper Jr a fifth generation descendant of author James Fenimore Cooper and a sixth generation descendant of William Cooper Cooperstown s founder died on January 31 at his Otsego County home in the Town of Middlefield He was a former writer for The New Yorker magazine author and a local environmentalist Dedicated to the conservation and protection of lands and waters he was the founder of what became Otsego 2000 and a board member of the Otsego Land Trust Each of these individuals had a passion that he advanced through his lifelong work and achievements We both as individuals and as part of the greater community will continue to benefit from all that they accomplished Each man made an indelible impression but nevertheless each also leaves a void SCHO GREEN 8 42 DELAWARE 23 23 A 28 17 ULSTER 213 9 0 2 149 D E L AW A R E 97 52 17 R I VE R SULLIVAN 97 NY STATE THRUW AY 87 10 23 30 N RUNNIN WITH THE RAT RODS SAUGERTIES THE BORDENS OF WALLKILL WALLKILL THE NORTH BRANCH INN NORTH BRANCH 9W 206 10 21 4 28 LAKE MANAGEMENT DEGREE PROGRAM ATTRACTS STUDENTS ONEONTA E H U D S O N R I VE R 23 30 HARIE 145 I 8 10 28 OTS KAATERSKILL FALLS WHAT S GOING ON NORTH LAKE 8 I 8 EGO Nina A M Lawford Juviler FAX 607 746 3135 EDITOR Marilyn Milow Francis PRODUCTION EDITOR Nina A M Lawford Juviler CONTRIBUTORS Marilyn M Francis Peter Senterman Robert Titus Johanna Titus Russ Patton Jr Michael Kudish Nicholas Zacharczenko Brigette Zacharczenko Justin Askins John Rowen Ryan Trapani Larry Gambon Lawrence C Swayne LaVerne Black Francis X Driscoll Cheryl Petersen Steve Hoare Garan Santicola ART DIRECTOR LAYOUT Nina A M Lawford Juviler with John Stys PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Nina A M Lawford Juviler FOOD LODGINGS EDITOR Joe Munster CALENDAR OF EVENTS WEB MASTER Cathy Roloson FAX 607 746 3135 ADVERTISING Karen Naden SUBSCRIPTIONS Lynn Schriver BOOKKEEPER Sherri Telian PUBLISHER The Delaware County Times Inc web site www kaatslife com e mail info kaatslife com Back issues of Kaatskill Life available at 10 each ppd Write your name and full street address or call 607 746 2176 Allow 6 8 weeks for processing Printed on recycled paper with vegetable ink Printed in Albany NY by Fort Orange Press Inc Rt 20 23 EDITOR IN CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR Locations are approximate 2 Kaatskill Life established in 1986 is published four times yearly by The Delaware County Times Inc Delhi NY Editorial and sales office located at 56 Main Street Delhi NY 13753 phone 607 746 2176 FAX 607 746 3135 Copyright 2016 by The Delaware County Time s Inc All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher Kaatskill Life cannot be responsible for unsolicited manuscripts drawings photographs or transparencies PLEASE ALLOW 2 TO 8 WEEKS for responses to submitted material ISSN 1073 9076 Subscriptions 19 00 ppd per yr within the U S overseas 29 00 ppd per yr Kaatskill Life reserves the right to accept or reject all submissions advertising or editorial and to edit manuscripts for length clarity and style We accept original manuscripts double spaced and clean typed without corrections or insertions FAXES AND COLUMN FORMATS NOT ACCEPTED front cover LaVerne Black inside front cover Eliza Shaw inside back cover Larry Gambon back cover Eliza Shaw

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04_08_360_Spring_2016 qxp__360_Summer 2 21 16 9 47 AM Page 1 360 Degrees stones and finally red sandstones at the top of the sequence Our goal is to explain what this sequence all means If you read our article Was There Ever Really a Devonian KL Summer 2015 then you will have a good idea of what this is all about We want to take you through 80 million years of Catskills history Our plans are to illustrate the Catskills geological history with a series of posters and a number of fossiliferous rock specimens Art Murphy has made a career out of photographing the marine invertebrate fossils of the Catskills His success in this endeavor has included a display of these photographs for a oneman show at the Florence Museum of Natural History in Italy He not only does fine photos of these fossils but creates true art out of them His will be a very strong contribution to the exhibit All this will be coordinated with the release of our latest book the fourth edition of The Catskills A Geological Guide published by Purple Mountain Press This edition will be an entirely rewritten and greatly expanded version of the book that was first published 20 years ago DELAWARE COUNTY TIME TRAVEL by Robert and Johanna Titus THE LITERARY WORLD Robert Titus spoke at the 2008 Catskill Center for Conservation and Development exhibit The New York State Literary Website www nyslittree org and print map were developed and are administrated by Bright Hill Press in Treadwell in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts to serve NYSCA funded organizations with literary programs their curators the poets and writers they present and the interested public The site offers in depth and up to date information about the organizations and their curators literary sites in New York literary events and special events NY libraries NY bookstores NYS Writers Hall of Fame and the Empire Center for the Book small presses and literary magazines a calendar of events for literary programs detailed schedules and links to Poets Writers and Distribution to Underserved Communities hereby serving as a learning center and clearinghouse for those involved in literature based presentation For more information contact info nyslittree org or call 607 829 5055 Bright Hill s 2016 24th year programs are made possible by grants from the New York State Council on the Arts photo by Johanna Titus For many years now the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development has been loaning out its little red cabin at the top of Plattekill Clove to various artists and wr i t e r s T h a t includes us And every summer the Catskill Center generally presents a display of some of the work that has been recently done there This year we have been invited to do the display and we in turn have invited renowned Catskills photographer Art Murphy who has also spent time at the cabin to join us The exhibit will open on June 4 and continue to July 29 at the Erpf Center the Catskill Center s location on NYS Route 28 in Arkville Our presentation will endeavor to illustrate and explain the geological history of the entire Catskills We will start with a fine cross sectional view of Catskills stratigraphy drawn by artist Alan McKnight It shows that the lowest stratified rocks of the Catskills are limestones and that these are succeeded by black shales brown sand 4

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04_08_360_Spring_2016 qxp__360_Summer 2 21 16 9 47 AM Page 2 360 Degrees sentatives from the Watershed local arts community and the Center for Photography at Woodstock The art exhibit shown is student art from the 2015 show launches Schoharie Watershed Month an annual event in recognition of the Watershed s role in the life of the Mountaintop communities and beyond Presented by Bright Hill Press in partnership with the New York rk State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature Otis A Thomson A Lindsay and Olive B O Connor Foundation A C Molinari Dewar and Tianaderrah Foundations Stewart s Shops the Abraham Kellogg Fund the Delaware Youth Bureau through the auspices of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services the Delaware National Bank of Delhi New York Artists Equity Association and with the support of Bright Hill s members and friends Bright Hill s facilities include the Bright Hill Community Library in Treadwell home to more than 12 000 books and literary and art periodicals that may be borrowed by local residents the complete catalog is online at http bhc scoolaid net bin hom The library is a member of the South Central Regional Library Council of New York For more information about Bright Hill contact wordthur stny rr com Kimberly Gonzalez 13 GREENE C OUNTY Victoria Shuster 11 MONTH TO CELEBRATE photography by Francis X Driscoll On Sunday May 1 a reception from 2 to 3 p m at the Doctorow Center Main Street in Hunter opens the month long Fifth Annual Amateur Student Art Exhibit featuring photography canvas art sculpture and film The exhibit which includes a film festival is one of several events being held across the Watershed region during May according to the Schoharie Watershed Month Committee Open to the public reception attendees will include student exhibitors and special guests such as photo artist KL contributor Francis X Driscoll and repreOlivia Pedrick 13 5

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04_08_360_Spring_2016 qxp__360_Summer 2 21 16 9 47 AM Page 3 360 Degrees The 2016 Watershed Celebration is sponsored by the Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District Watershed Assistance Program Tannersville in partnership with the Catskill Watershed Corp U S Geological Survey and the NYSDEC The exhibit is supported by the Catskill Mountain Foundation Kaaterskill Fine Arts Gallery Mountaintop school districts Gilboa Historical Society and Museum Windham Arts Alliance Catskill Stream Buffer Initiative Columbia Greene Trout Unlimited Platte Clove Neighborhood Center and the Center for Photography at Woodstock OTSEGO COUNTY COME ON OUT Historic Gilbertsville park the Copes Corners Park campground is a popular destination for picnicking fishing boating and camping since the early 1800s It reopens on May 1 for a full camping season through September 30 Kylie Miller 16 Chris Carl 17 6

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04_08_360_Spring_2016 qxp__360_Summer 2 21 16 9 47 AM Page 4 360 Degrees photo courtesy of Douglas Tobey Nations A Tribute to Native American Baseball Players Visual Voices Native Americans in the Performing Arts I and II IndianInk Iroquois and the Art of Tattoos Iroquois Art in the Age of Casinos Tonto Revisited Excellence in Iroquois Arts Recipients and more This exhibition is supported in part with grants from the Coby Foundation LTD and the New York Council for the Humanities Seneca Nation a painting by Housing the world s Carson Waterman Seneca most comprehensive colfrom Allegany Reservation is lection of modern included in the 35th anniversary Iroquois artwork the retrospective at the Iroquois museum is an educaIndian Museum tional institution dedicated to fostering understanding of the culture using Iroquois art as a window to that culture It is a venue for promoting Iroquois art and artists and a meeting place for all peoples to celebrate Iroquois culture and diversity As an anthropological institution it is informed by research on archaeology history and the common creative spirit of modern artists and craftspeople An interactive children s area introduces young visitors to Iroquois traditions through a variety of crafts games and technologies A guide posted 45 acre Nature Park is open year round for walks snowshoeing and crosscountry skiing The museum is located at 324 Caverns Road For information about hours and admission pricing call 518 296 8949 or visit www iroquoismuseum org With the imminent reopening of Copes Corners Park all ages can again enjoy a Fourth of July picnic Closed for a couple of years and now owned by the town of Butternuts the park grounds picnic sites and pavilions have been restored upgraded and there is a full time caretaker Day and overnight campers are welcome Child friendly the park is a popular site for picnics family gatherings parties graduations and weddings Located at the southwest end of the scenic Butternut Valley at 620 State Hwy 51 it is four miles from Mount Upton and two miles from the National Register Historic village of Gilbertsville For information call 607 783 2905 SCHOHARIE COUNTY CULTURAL WINDOW photography courtesy Iroquois Indian Museum The Iroquois Indian Museum in Howes Cave established in 1981 celebrates its 35th year with a retrospective exhibit 35 Years of Iroquois Art A Retrospective on view through September 30 The show highlights the decades of exhibitions conceived and presented by the museum showcasing contemporary Iroquois art and creativity Featured elements from past exhibits include those from Baseball s League of Place your ad here Call Karen at 607 746 2176 7

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04_08_360_Spring_2016 qxp__360_Summer 2 21 16 9 47 AM Page 5 2016 Season May 15 October 15 Letters Editor s note We value the following that refers to Lawrence C Swayne s article Protecting Our Future The Catskill Mountainkeeper Open Wednesday Sunday 10 am 5 pm Kids 12 Under Get FREE Admission 51 County Hwy 12 East Meredith NY 13757 607 278 5744 www hanfordmills org Masonville General Store Crescent Wrench Cafe Good old fashioned fashioned v values alues naturall ly y Natural Foods Housewares Gifts Good Coffee At the Four Cornerrs Routes 8 206 Masonville NY 607 265 3808 Monday thru Saturday 10 to 6 Sunday 9 to 5 Closed Tuesday Wednesday Dear Larry I wanted to tell you how much we appreciate your terrific article about Catskill Mountainkeeper in the winter 2015 issue of Kaatskill Life It s wonderful to have our work and achievements featured in such a prominent way as Mountainkeeper moves ahead in our 10th anniversary year and we appreciate the thoughtful way that you told our story Hopefully we ll make some new friends for our programs as a result With great appreciation and all best wishes Ramsay Adams Executive Director Catskill Mountainkeeper WEEDS LEAVES SEEDS SHOOTS Marguerite Uhlmann Bower R N and Herbalist Foraging Immersions with Music of the Plants from Damanhur Italy where Art Science Ecology and Intuition Meet 607 437 1218 Come in and Feel the War th 2015 CCCC Business of the Year THE BLACK RAVEN Antiques Handmade Reproductions Primitives Goods Cupboards Tables Chairs Beds Benches Chests Lighting Shelves Pewter Redware Tin Textiles Accessories and more WOOD PELLET GAS COAL ELECTRIC 1130 Main Street Fleischmanns NY Stoves Fireplaces to Fit Every Style Budget John Stys Proprietor Phone 315 941 3766 Sales Service and Installation 8

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10_14_Runnin_With_Rats_FEATURE qxp_Template 2 21 16 10 28 AM Page 2 opposite page above Sign for the 2014 summer Rats Nest Run In This year Rats Nest Run In will take place August 19 21 at the Blackthorne Resort in East Durham NY opposite page below The 33 Ford yellow hot rod car ready to go by Pete Duvaloois below Pete Duvaloois at the wheel which the author was privileged to drive In Ulster County there s a man in Saugerties who lives that dream every day Pete Duvaloois has his Rat Rods Shop on King s Highway off of Route 32 near the Thruway exit On a sunny day last spring I drove to meet him and entered a world of old engines car parts grease oil and prideful craftsmanship He s all about building hot rods in a shop with old eclectically mixed parts Welcome to my rat rod toy box he exclaimed and we settled into folding chairs amongst all that old metal He started to tell me about himself and how he got into hot rodding I m retired and I moved up here from Tewksbury New Jersey My dad was a mechanic a carpenter and a furniture maker He was a jack of all trades and a master of all 11 too Our family would get these old cars and we d fix em He continued This is not a business for me I ve always liked anything with a motor that did something Duvaloois mentioned that one motivation for moving to Saugerties 16 years ago was that in New Jersey any vehicle modification was a real problem to get through state inspection He said he s worked on stock cars motorcycles ultralight aircraft and airplanes You name it I ll work on anything he proclaimed One of his early projects was rebuilding a 57 VW bug s engine and putting a turbocharger on it This hopped up bug was able to stay neck and neck with a 318 Plymouth Duster I also got into stock car racing at age 23 about 1974 or 75 and did

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10_14_Runnin_With_Rats_FEATURE qxp_Template 2 21 16 10 28 AM Page 3 it for about seven or eight years I ran sportsman cars with smaller engines I ran on dirt tracks at Middletown New York his home track at Nazareth Pennsylvania and at Reading Pennsylvania I had a small block engine with fuel injectors It was a 307 cubic inch Chevy block with a 327 stroke giving me 316 cubic inches Note The cubic inch displacement of an engine is the total of the volume that is displaced by the up and down motion of the pistons This motion through many connections turns the car s drive wheels I asked Duvaloois what got him into rebuilding old cars and building hot rods from scratch with old parts He told me After I moved up here I came across a 57 Dodge flat fender power wagon in a field in Gilboa It was a telephone truck and I totally rebuilt it It was rough after about a five to six mile ride you d had enough I sold it to a guy in Pennsylvania I can t cut up a beautiful car but old trucks are a different story Old trucks are easy to find he continued He first makes patterns for the parts of a hot rod out of wood and paper He then can make the parts out of wood and metal He narrows the old truck cabs and makes the pedals the chassis headers and seats A rat rod is the finished product with an engine and all these eclectic parts It s a blue collar hot rod I asked him to show me around the shop which was a trip back in time with the oldies playing on the radio and engines parts and shop machinery everywhere He has a plasma cutter mig and tig welders a 52 inch sheet metal shear a band saw a lathe a 50 ton press a milling and drilling press and an English wheel This helps to mold just the right curvatures into the fenders hoods and rooflines Duvaloois takes his time and makes sure everything s right As he says If something s not quite right it s wrong It s just my pride Then came the real fun I was going to drive a couple of the rods We walked out into the spring sunshine and I got into the passenger seat of a beautiful rust burnished 46 Chevy pickup hot rod Its slimmed down old truck cab held a small bare bones interior and its long nose contained a 52 Dodge 241 cubic inch hemi V8 The V8 12 below An old engine block opposite page top Pete Duvaloois working on his 36 Ford City of Kingston D P W truck hot rod with an Oldsmobile Rocket engine opposite page bottom The English wheel for shaping fenders hoods and roof lines The 33 coupe is in the background

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10_14_Runnin_With_Rats_FEATURE qxp_Template 2 21 16 10 28 AM Page 4 blasted to life No real muffler here just some baffles in the exhaust pipe Duvaloois started out driving on the King s Highway and I asked him over the throaty din what he gets out of these rods He enthusiastically told me At the end of the day I did that I can touch it feel it It s tangible like it s alive it s hot it s cold it s smooth We surged along the road curving over hill and dale and suddenly he pulled over It was my turn I settled into the driver s seat looked over the big old steering wheel and lit the engine up I engaged the stiff clutch on the 1980s Camaro five speed stick shift transmission and rumbled onto the road Running through the gears my heart pumped as the rod took to the road The steering had just a bit of play but I got used to it as we swept around curves and ate up the straightaways All eyes on the road followed us with our old style high sided whitewall tires and with red blooded American horsepower pouring out Cool I thought we were finished when I pulled back into the shop but all of a sudden I heard Hey you re not done yet I heard another big engine start up and sure enough there was another truck hot rod in front of me This faded red baby was a 35 Ford with a 47 truck bed in the back It had a 56 Chrysler 354 cubic inch hemi V8 under the hood with a three speed Chevy automatic transmission hooked to it The rumble of it was beautiful and what a rocket it was to drive Duvaloois had one more to show me as I caught my breath back in the shop It s his spotless car showready yellow hot rod With its shining finish this 33 Ford with 383 cubic inch 425 horsepower V8 and three speed Chevy overdrive automatic transmission with a positraction rear end is absolute perfection 13

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10_14_Runnin_With_Rats_FEATURE qxp_Template 2 21 16 10 28 AM Page 5 above The 46 Chevy with whitewall tires driven by the author below Dashboard of the 46 Chevy with gauges and steering wheel NEW From ADK Find a whole new group of mountains in the Catskills Author Alan Via takes you off the beaten path to discover the lesserknown peaks of the Catskill 100 Highest Softcover 6 x 9 21 95 Regional maps Peakfinder map Full color GPS coordinates Ratings 800 395 8080 www adk org Note Positraction limits drive wheel spin and as such improves traction As I got ready to leave still reveling in this exhilirating day Duvaloois reminded me of his three day Rats Nest Run In hot rod rally in August at the Blackthorne Resort in East Durham Greene County Hot rod enthusiasts from all over the Northeast show up It s a great great time he says We ve got pinups a pig roast rockabilly bands and cars cars cars I waved good 14 bye as he was working on his latest rod a 36 Ford City of Kingston DPW truck which will have an Oldsmobile Rocket engine You can visit him at his shop on King s Highway in Saugerties or go to the Run In in August in East Durham He s also reachable by phone at 845 706 2945 As the song goes It s all just fun fun fun but this time Daddy can t take the hot rods away

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16_25_Bordens_of_Wallkill_FEATURE qxp_Template 2 19 16 11 08 PM Page 2 The Bordens of Wallkill by Lawrence C Swayne M D photography by the author unless otherwise noted Milk is a living fluid as soon as drawn from the cow begins to die change and decompose Gail Borden Jr To establish a park like setting where the Sir Knights can get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and be at rest with nature and at peace with themselves John Gail Borden describing the purpose of establishing Borden Home Farm in the hamlet of Wallkill NY Elsie s Place named for the famous Borden dairy mascot Elsie the Cow a top ten 20th century ad icon as selected by Advertising Age magazine in 1999 is a restaurant and pub located at the intersection of Routes 208 and 300 in Ulster County For many patrons however the name is enigmatic Although Borden Park and the John Gail Borden Middle School attest to the past presence of the Borden family Borden Road itself is now a dead end following a dam washout in 2000 Two signs posted in 2007 along Route 208 indicate the Borden Home Farm once occupied the hamlet of Wallkill in Ulster County but they are surprisingly easy to overlook Astonishingly the Bordens are not even mentioned in the otherwise comprehensive local histories by Alf Evers and more recently Stephen Silverman and Raphael Silver Who were the Bordens and how did their contributions shape both local and national history above right The original Elsie a Jersey cow was chosen at the 1939 1940 New York World s Fair for her beauty and willingness to visually engage visitors courtesy the New York Public Library opposite page The Elsie the cow sign was a cartoon advertising icon created by marketer David William Reid during a dairy pricing war in the late 1930s Actress Hope Emerson provided Elsie s voice on radio commercials and by the 1940s Elsie was more recognizable than President Harry Truman above center Elsie and offspring Beulah Elsie married Elmer the advertising bull icon for Borden s Elmer s Glue and the couple had Beulah 1942 Beauregard delivered in the NY Macy s store in 1947 and twins Larabee and Lobelia 1957 courtesy the New York Public Library bottom left Wooden Borden s cheese box Public Library 17 courtesy the Wallkill

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16_25_Bordens_of_Wallkill_FEATURE qxp_Template 2 19 16 11 08 PM Page 3 Numerous American Bordens trace their lineage to Francis DeBourdon whose descendants flourished in the village of Borden in Kent County awarded by William the Conqueror for service during the Battle of Hastings in 1066 Richard Borden 1595 1671 immigrated to Boston around 1635 and his son Matthew was the first Rhode Island born child of European descent in 1638 As the Bordens spread across the country many settled in Fall River Massachusetts prospering in the iron and textiles industries Spencer Borden IV a descendant of this family branch was a significant mentor early in my own career The Spencer Borden Elementary school was founded by his great grandfather while his grandfather attended the trial of a second cousin Lizzy Borden of ax wielding fame The dairy Borden family branch began with Gail Borden Jr 18011874 a frontiersman who arrived in Texas in 1829 working as a teacher surveyor and farmer and later as a government official and real estate agent He was also a Lone Star State founding father assisting in the drafting of the initial Texas constitution 1833 and the proclamation of war against Mexico 1835 His Texas Telegraph and Texas Register the first permanent Texas newspaper 1835 published the earliest authoritative account of the Alamo In addition he plotted the streets of Houston created the original topographical Texas map and was the first customs collector for the Republic of Texas stationed at Galveston At heart however Gail was an inveterate tinkerer While earlier inventions including a lazy Susan and an amphibious terraqueous machine proved commercially nonviable his patented desiccated meat biscuit won a Great Council Medal at the 1851 London s World s Fair Legend attributes the absence of milk for children from seasick cows during his return voyage from overseas as the impetus for Borden s quest for milk preservation After three prior rejections endorsements from Scientific American and others helped him to finally gain patents in the United States and England in 1856 for condensed milk production in a vacuum pan an idea borrowed from the Shakers preservation of fruit Although additional dairy patents followed in 1862 1863 1865 and 1866 and for cider in 1862 early success eluded the Gail Borden Jr and Company condenseries in Wolcottville and Burville in Connecticut Fate rewarded Borden s persistence during a chance meeting with financier Jeremiah Milbank on a train in 1858 The New York Condensed Milk Company opened its first successful plant at Wassaic New York in 1861 Always a stickler for cleanliness his standards evolved into the Dairyman s Ten Commandments Borden s enterprise benefited from an Illustrated Newspaper expose on competitors unsanitary dairy prac top Gail Borden Jr was a founding father of the Texas Republic and the inventor of condensed milk center John Gail Borden the youngest son of Gail Borden Jr assumed control of the Borden enterprise upon the death of his father in 1874 After visiting several states he established the Borden Home Farm in the hamlet of Wallkill in 1881 as a home or park a resting place a place of retreat from business and possible place for foreign dignitaries to visit courtesy the Historical Society of Shawangunk and Gardiner bottom Marion Borden daughter of John Gail Borden and Ellen Borden courtesy the Wallkill Public Library 18

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16_25_Bordens_of_Wallkill_FEATURE qxp_Template 2 19 16 11 08 PM Page 4 above The Cornelius Hasbrouck home today On December 29 2009 a fire destroyed the second floor It was completely restored to historic specifications by the current occupants the Hoyt family below Cornelius Hasbrouck home built in 1771 by Benjamin Hasbrouck It was sold for 31 000 to John Andrews builder of the first Grand Central Station Andrews updated the house adding a large addition with mansard roof In 1881 Andrews sold the house to John Gail Borden for 35 000 courtesy the Historical Society of Shawangunk and Gardiner 19 tices It was the Civil War and Union contracts however which garnered millions necessitating additional plants in Brewster New York Connecticut Maine and Pennsylvania to meet the demand By 1899 the Borden Condensed Milk Company had expanded to 18 towns and was generating 2 000 000 in annual profit In 1919 the Borden Company s first annual report included 21 milk plants eight dairy farms 156 bottling plants and 70 city pasteurization plants throughout the U S Eventually Borden became the nation s largest dairy distributor the second largest pasta and snack food company and one of the world s largest integrated chemical giants Although revenues reached 7 2 billion in 1991 a drop in milk prices overextension and failure to integrate separate brands with a unified marketing strategy led to the firm s acquisition and ultimate dissolution by Kohlberg

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16_25_Bordens_of_Wallkill_FEATURE qxp_Template 2 19 16 11 08 PM Page 5 Kravis Roberts Co in 1994 All of that however was still in the future when control of the Borden enterprise passed to the youngest son John Gail Borden 1844 1891 upon his father s death in 1874 Plagued by weak health stemming from service in the 150th and later the 47th NY Infantry Regiment during the Civil War John Gail was nevertheless energetic enough to grow the business and introduce his own innovations including fluid milk delivery to New York City in 1875 and the first bottled milk plant in 1885 John Gail s dream however was to establish a farm and a model community near a large city After visiting several states he purchased the 261 acre John P Andrews farm including the historic 1771 Hasbrouck House in 1881 for its beauty its large supply of water well drained soils and proximity to the railroad eventually accumulating more than 1 700 acres John Gail developed the grid for the hamlet he named Wallkill an 1883 map has been preserved by top Marion Borden s 29 000 square foot mansion built next to her parents home 1777 Hasbrouck House was completed in1906 and had 26 rooms and 8 bathrooms Two years later it was electrified with a steam powered electric station which later became one of the first assets of Central Hudson Electric Gas After Marion s death her home was left to the Masons and eventually became a boys school until it was acquired and beautifully restored and maintained by the School of Practical Philosophy center Marion Borden in the passenger seat next to the driver courtesy the Historical Society of Shawangunk and Gardiner bottom Rodney Stuart Thompson caretaker stands in front of the remains of a large fountain on the Borden estate 20

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16_25_Bordens_of_Wallkill_FEATURE qxp_Template 2 19 16 11 08 PM Page 7 trees many are still visible along Borden and St Elmo roads created orchards vineyards and pastures and beautified the property with parks and woodlands In 1884 he finished supervising construction of a large condensory on the east side of Route 208 along train tracks which shipped milk to New York City for 30 years By 1889 Home Farm had 246 beef cattle 77 milking cows 50 young heifers and bulls 250 hogs 600 sheep 400 poultry 650 apple trees 110 acres of corn along with rye and oats and provided over 200 jobs When a Newburgh Evening News reporter inquired why he hadn t eliminated jobs with modernized equipment he replied I can think of no better way to spend my money When John Gail retired in 1884 from the Borden presidency he was succeeded by his brother Henry Lee Borden in 1884 and then a succession of non Bordens beginning with William J Rogers in 1902 Upon John Gail s death however control of Home Farm passed to his wife Ellen and then the youngest of his five children Marion 1883 1930 in 1904 Although born to privilege Marion suffered many hardships including childhood polio and the deaths of her father her eldest sister Penelope 1905 and her mother 1927 Her marriage to George E Halliday ended in divorce and he was later accidentally electrocuted in his Wallkill hat factory in 1929 One year later Marion frail like her father died at the same age of 47 During her life Marion continued to invest in Wallkill s infrastructure In 1906 she completed her 29 000square foot mansion with 26 rooms and 8 bathrooms now owned and maintained by the School of Practical Philosophy Two years later she electrified her home the farm and most of Wallkill with a steam pow above A rare photograph of two of the large condensers inside the Wallkill Borden Condensory The facility could accommodate the milk from up to 5 000 cows courtesy the Wallkill Public Library below An early steam powered tractor Marion Borden introduced several technical innovations during her tenure in charge of Borden Home Farm including electricity telephone service and a 100 water tower to provide pressurized water to Wallkill homes courtesy the Wallkill Public Library 22

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16_25_Bordens_of_Wallkill_FEATURE qxp_Template 2 19 16 11 08 PM Page 9 exemplified by their understated family motto Ostento non Ostendo I show not boast John Gail was fond of saying What is worth doing at all is worth doing well while continually striving to make two blades of grass grow where but one grew before Rodney Thompson the caretaker of Marion s mansion has interviewed over 80 of Marion Borden s contemporaries and best summarized the family modus operandi Serving God by serving man The philanthropic tradition began with Gail Borden who established a freedman school in Texas helped erect several churches and funded numerous mintop Old Grist Mill on Borden Road one of two water powered grist mills on the Borden Home Farm which included a windmill In 1889 the farm had 110 acres of corn plus rye and oats center The Spencer Borden Elementary School in Fall River Massachusetts is named for the great grandfather of the author s mentor Spencer Borden IV M D bottom Marion Borden donated nearly four acres in 1919 for construction of the John G Borden High School now the middle school completed in 1921 The Marion Borden Auditorium was named in her honor 24

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16_25_Bordens_of_Wallkill_FEATURE qxp_Template 2 19 16 11 08 PM Page 10 above The beautiful stone Wallkill Public Library was built and maintained with 50 000 and land donated by Marion Marion s mother Ellen her sister Penelope and Marion s husband George Halliday also donated money to the library below Marion Borden also donated money to build the Reformed Church Community Hall isters teachers and students John Gail generously compensated his workers hosted an annual Home Farm Festival gave school children American flags and bags of 25 pennies on Decoration Day and in one unverifiable account provided for the entire family of a black soldier who d rescued him during the Civil War Marion surpassed them all consistently providing for children in need donating funds to build and maintain the Wallkill stone library and the Reformed Church Community Hall as well as land for the John G Borden High School now the middle school Camp Robbins for boys and Camp Wendy for girls Beneficiaries of her will included the local high school Girl Scouts of America the Salvation Army Kingston and St Luke s hospitals and numerous loyal employees Today the family s collective contributions continue to enrich the lives of Wallkill s citizens even as memories of their individual lives gradually recede into the past Author s notes The author gratefully acknowledges the valuable assistance of Rodney Thompson The School of Practical Philosophy Adam J Schenkman educator local historian author Matt Thorenz archivist Wallkill Public Library Harold Van Aken trustee and webmaster Historical Society of Shawangunk and Gardiner and Spencer Borden IV M D senior director LxSolutions at American Association for Physician Leadership for research assistance right Elsie s Place is a casual restaurant and pub serving eclectic American food made from fresh local ingredients and occasionally featuring local acoustic musicians 25

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26_28_Lake_Management_FEATURE qxp_Template 2 19 16 7 22 PM Page 1 Lake Management Degree Program Attracts Students by Nancy Mueller Holly Waterfield Willard Harman The call of a loon the sound of waves lapping on a shoreline a canoe trip through the Catskills or Adirondacks or the tug of a bass or walleye on a freshly cast line are the reasons why people in New York are drawn to over 7 500 lakes around the state New Yorkers are passionate about their lakes so it s not surprising that the nation s first lake association the Lake George Association was formed here in 1885 Since then hundreds of other lake associations have formed across the state They range in size and scope from fully staffed incorporations with large annual budgets which are actively engaged in lake management issues to small clubs whose main mission may be to host an annual picnic or boat parade What they have in common are people committed to their lakes and are willing to volunteer their time and effort to ensure that the enjoyment of their lake is passed on to future generations Early on most lake associations in New York focused their attention on local issues lake level zoning development pressure and taxes There was some concern about water quality especially in regions impacted by acid rain or urbanization but things were generally good if you asked a lakefront property owner in most parts of the state By the 1980s concerns over water quality and Eurasian water milfoil provided the impetus for a group of lake associations to push for a statewide coalition Within a year the New York State Federation of Lake Associations Inc NYSFOLA was established as an affiliate of the North American Lake Management Society NALMS with a mission to protect the water resources of New York State by assisting local organizations and individuals through public dialogue education information exchange and collaborative efforts and a primary goal of encouraging New York lawmakers to establish a volunteer lake monitoring program similar to those in Vermont Maine Michigan and Illinois Those efforts succeeded and in 1985 the New York State Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program CSLAP was established as a cooperative program between the New York State Environmental of Department Conservation NYSDEC and NYSFOLA The program was successful and in 1988 the State Environmental Conservation Law was amended ECL 17 0305 to mandate CSLAP and provide a full time coordinator at NYSDEC It can easily be argued that NYSFOLA and CSLAP have matured sideby side Nearly 2 000 volunteers have participated in the program since it began and over 100 000 hours have been spent collecting 20 000 samples from 235 lakes around the state The information collected by dedicated volunteers has become the state s primary lake water quality dataset and has recently expanded to include harmful algal bloom monitoring More importantly 26 CSLAP volunteers typically become more invested in their lake s water quality They want to know more about lake management issues and become involved in decision making that impacts water quality The complexities of the factors that impact lake systems are driving lake associations municipalities and commercial users to seek professional management of vital aquatic resources The State University of New York College at Oneonta s SUNY Oneonta Master of Science in Lake Management degree program provides a low cost alternative for lake associations to start the process of comprehensive lake management Responding to the need for well rounded whole lake managers the program strives to train a new generation of lake managers with the ability to assess lake ecosystems and the communities that revolve around them and present sound approaches to mitigate acute problems in the short term as well as plan for long term management of ecosystems Lake associations with an interest in long range planning benefit from an economical option that yields a comprehensive lake management plan for the future SUNY Oneonta research intern Megan Wilckens involved in a nuisance aquatic invasive species survey on the Ashokan Reservoir in Ulster County photo by Willard Harman

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26_28_Lake_Management_FEATURE qxp_Template 2 19 16 7 22 PM Page 2 NYSFOLA has partnered with the SUNY Oneonta program to spread the word connect the program with interested lake associations and provide scholarship funds for graduate students A lake association commits to a two year scholarship for a graduate student in the program funding for two students per year is matched by the NYSFOLA Scholarship Program with an additional match from the Scriven Foundation a private foundation in the Oneonta Cooperstown area Enrollees choose a lake and or lake association on which to focus their efforts the result of their two years of Master s Thesis research includes a comprehensive management plan for that lake and watershed Three faculty members and two staff members all NALMS Certified lake Managers CLMs at the College s Biological Field Station 27 BFS provide continuous guidance and mentoring of students as they assess the current state of the lake and research historical conditions survey the lakeside and watershed residents concerns and goals for the lake provide information for public education on key issues and develop a range of solutions that both mitigate acute problems in the short term and address issues more broad in scale with long

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26_28_Lake_Management_FEATURE qxp_Template 2 19 16 7 22 PM Page 3 A traditional small town shopping experience since 1883 range lake and watershed planning Drafting and adopting a lake management plan is a critical step and can be a means by which to obtain funding for management activities a first step in establishing a productive working group that can move forward to implement the plan s recommendations Student degree recipients will meet the academic requirements to apply for certification as Lake Manager by NALMS The program includes 32 hours of coursework and closely aligned field and laboratory experiences plus thesis research involving the development and implementation of a lake management plan Admission to the program requires a baccalaureate degree including undergraduate courses in the natural sciences communications business government and statistics It is expected applicants may 85 Main Street Delhi 607 746 2254 28 have widely varying technical and liberal arts backgrounds If the undergraduate requirements are unfulfilled applicants may be accepted provisionally on the condition that such coursework is completed The program provides students with a route towards the CLM designation requiring both academic coursework and practical training in managing lakes Students interested in the Master of Science in Lake Management degree program should contact gradstudies oneonta edu and or the program director Willard Harman oneonta edu and the Biological Field Station at http BFS oneonta edu Nancy Mueller is manager New York State Federation of Lake Associations Holly Waterfield is research support specialist SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station Willard Harman is director SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station

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29_Coop_Char_RR_Ad qxp_81_Coop_Char 2 20 16 8 05 PM Page 1 2016 OPERATING SCHEDULE SUMMER TRAIN OPERATIONS Thursdays June 9 September 1 One Roundtrip Train To Cooperstown Departing From The Milford Depot 136 East Main Street NYS Route 166 Milford NY At 10 00 AM Returning To Milford At 1 00 PM Trains Stop At The Cooperstown Dreams Park Baseball Camp At 10 30 AM Returning At 12 30 PM FALL FOLIAGE TRAINS Saturdays Sundays September 24 October 9 Monday October 10 Columbus Day One Round Trip Train Departing From The Milford Depot At 1 00 PM Standard Round Trip Fares For Summer Fall Foliage Trains Adults 15 00 Seniors 62 over 14 00 Children 3 12 12 00 Under 3 FREE BROOKS DINNER TRAINS Enjoy a local favorite Brooks Chicken in our dining car on Thursday August 25 at 7 00pm Reservations prepayment required Other meal choices dates are available COOPERSTOWN BLUES EXPRESS Trains leave Milford Saturday nights May 14 October 1 at 7 00pm for a 3 hour fun filled train ride with bands from across the northeast performing live on board Food full cash bar are available Check out bands performing at www cooperstownbluesexpress com SPECIAL EVENT TRAINS Easter Bunny Express Saturdays Sunday March 19 20 26 2pm Ice Cream Social Train Saturday June 25 1 00pm Train Robberies Saturdays July 9 23 August 13 27 September 24 October 8 1pm Railfan Day Saturday August 6 10am 4pm Photo Runby Train 1pm The Dinosaur Express Saturday September 17 1pm Beer Wine Tasting Train Saturday October 1 1pm Pumpkin Patch Train Saturday October 15 1pm Santa Express Trains Friday Saturday November 25 26 Saturdays Sundays December 3 4 10 11 17 2pm Christmas Lights Trains Saturdays December 3 10 6 30pm Reservations Prepayment Are Required On All Special Event Trains EXCEPT Train Robberies Special Event Special Service Trains Priced Higher Than Standard Fare office 607 432 2429 web www lrhs com email wendy lrhs com

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32_39_Rocks_of_Ages_GEOLOGIST qxp_Template 2 19 16 8 45 PM Page 2 We often hear the term A Sense of Place used to describe an art exhibit a group of literary works a musical event or even an academic course However a sense of place cannot be taught it needs to be felt It comes from an intense feeling of belonging and is a bond that forms between a people and their surrounding environments As the Catskills became populated that unique sense of place developed from a close relationship of the people with their mountains valleys and even the surrounding bedrock Much of that melding is openly expressed in the many stone buildings that people built within their communities We went in search of examples and found them everywhere But we found that the most beautiful lasting caringly preserved ones were to be found in the houses of worship mostly churches They form a large part of that Catskills sense of place We limited ourselves to the ones composed only of Catskills stone Although that meant eliminating some very handsome churches we needed to tell the story of our rocks We also decided to begin with the oldest stone and work toward the youngest The oldest layers of Catskill stratigraphy come from the Helderberg Limestone and within that unit there is a very special type You can see that at St Luke s Episcopal Church on Williams Street in the Village of opposite page top Closeup view of fossils in St Luke s Church opposite page bottom View of St Luke s Episcopal Church in Village of Catskill composed of the Becraft Limestone left The Fair Street Reformed Church in Kingston composed of the Onondaga Limestone below Column in front of Fair Street Reformed Church eroded by acid rain 33 Catskill Greene County The current St Luke s is really the third of its name to be built in Catskill The first church was built in 1803 made of brick and burned in 1839 The second was designed by Hudson River School founder Thomas Cole It was also brick built in 1841 and it also burned The present St Luke s is composed of an especially beautiful form of the Helderberg Limestone called the Becraft Limestone It was designed by architect Henry Congden of New York City and built by George Holdridge of Catskill The Rev Thomas Cole Jr youngest son of the famous painter was a celebrant at the dedication of St Luke s in June of 1899 Holdridge built many of the town s most remarkable buildings from stone gathered at his quarries in West Catskill during the late 19th and early 20th centuries Catskill was a prosperous town back then and quarry stone was a big part of its success The Holdridge structure you are most likely to be familiar with is the Greene County Court House on Main Street That is a reddish pink variety but St Luke s is different it is a darker form of the Becraft St Luke s is a handsome building but you need to get close enough to see the stone in detail a richly fossiliferous limestone The Becraft is a unit of rock that dates back to the early Devonian about 400 million years ago It formed during a time when what eventually became North America was situated near the equator As a limestone it formed on the bottom of a shallow tropical sea much like today s Bahamas Like the Bahamas it had a rich seafloor ecology with numerous shellfish Visit St Luke s and look into its stone You will see fossil shellfish called brachiopods and there will be other fossil creatures called crinoids distant relatives

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32_39_Rocks_of_Ages_GEOLOGIST qxp_Template 2 19 16 8 45 PM Page 3 of the starfish We also found some corals They all combine to make an especially attractive stone We have seen a lot of the Becraft but we think St Luke s has the best we have been able to find It was chosen with care Next we went down to Kingston Ulster County and found our way to the Fair Street Reformed Church on the corner of Fair Street and Pearl The building was also constructed from local stone by builder and quarry owner Luke Noone in 1860 Noone arrived from Ireland in 1848 and formed a partnership with two other men to supply cut stone to construction sites in New York City It is said that his Upper Pearl Street Quarry also supplied stone for the Brooklyn Bridge and Battery Park The Fair Street Reformed Church is composed of another limestone also a very popular building stone the Onondaga Limestone That formed a little later in the Devonian about 390 million years ago This too formed on the floor of a shallow trop above The Old Stone Fort in Schoharie with limestone walls below Fossil worm burrows just above and right of shoe in shales below the Reformed Church on the Old King s Highway 34

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32_39_Rocks_of_Ages_GEOLOGIST qxp_Template 2 19 16 8 45 PM Page 4 ical sea but by this time coral reefs were appearing in some abundance It took us a while but we did find some small corals in the walls of the Fair Street church But the stone also told us a different story one that did not happen in the Devonian but rather a story of the effects of 20th and 21st century acid rain on this limestone Limestone is very soluble and rainwater will dissolve it but any acidity in that rain Onondaga Limestone white forms trim in the Old Dutch Church water speeds things up We saw deteriorating carvings in the columns left and right of the front staircase a troubling thing to see Efforts to curtail polluting industrial emissions and so reduce acid rain have brought good results we hope they will continue to be successful We visited two more limestone churches the Reformed Church of Katsbaan on the Old King s Highway in Saugerties Ulster County and the Old Stone Fort now a museum in the Village of Schoharie Schoharie County The Katsbaan church was built in 1732 by German Palantine and Dutch residents from stone gathered locally It has been in continuous use since that time incorporated in 1796 and again in 1892 as the Reformed Church of Katsbaan It was 35 partially rebuilt in 1816 and 1867 but maintains most of its original structure Schoharie s Old Stone Fort began life in 1772 as the Dutch Reformed Church built by Boss Bartholomew A balcony was built above the nave to accommodate women and slave worshipers It was turned into a full second story soon after The building was used as a fort during the Revolution with a wooden stockade built to surround and protect it It briefly came under attack by the British in 1780 Later the building had also functioned as a state armory but has been under the care of the Schoharie County Historical Society as a museum since 1889 The museum focuses on the Dutch and German settlers who built it Its eclectic collec

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32_39_Rocks_of_Ages_GEOLOGIST qxp_Template 2 19 16 8 45 PM Page 5 tions from fossils and Native American artifacts to farming military and fire equipment make this small museum a worthy visit Both these churches are composed of the Coeymans Limestone another fossiliferous stone The Katsbaan church has Catskill bluestone trim around the windows It sits on black shale bedrock which has abundant fossil worm burrows in it If you visit any of these limestone churches the thing to do is to wander around them and look carefully into the stone Unless you have a background in fossil hunting you are not likely to be able to identify many of the fossils but you can still appreciate what they are The Catskills limestones are over lain by black shales rocks that accumulated as dark mud at the bottom of a deepening sea We think that these are fine looking rocks but they do not make good building stone Sadly but understandably we found no churches nor any other buildings composed of the black shales But the next unit in Catskill stratigraphy the bluestones make wonderful building stone We found many churches made of this Returning to Kingston we visited the Old Dutch Church on the corner of Main and Wall streets This church like many others is the latest in a series of churches built at the same location and with the same name this time designed by Minard Lafever a New York ecclesiologist Of the design 36 Calvert Vaux the famed landscape architect said I cannot change a thing without impairing the exquisite unity Lafever s construction embodied a mathematical ideal If the span of these arches were one foot more or less or these columns a foot taller or shorter there might have been those to whom it would have made no difference but as it is it s ideally perfect This most recent iteration of the below The Zen Mountain Monastery in Mount Tremper with bluestone walls opposite page Image of Jesus presides over bluestone amphitheater at the Zen Monastery

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32_39_Rocks_of_Ages_GEOLOGIST qxp_Template 2 19 16 8 45 PM Page 6 Old Dutch Church was built in 1852 It is composed of bluestone said to have come from a quarry west of town The current congregants did not know what the trim was but we figured that out The light colored stone that as trim should do contrasts with the bluestone came from the Onondaga Limestone the very same stone that we saw on the Fair Street Reformed Church We consulted with experts on the Onondaga and learned that there had once been Onondaga quarries right there in this part of Kingston We have an eye for bluestone and began finding it especially in the middle and western Catskills it was the stone of choice for many churches Another especially handsome one has become a Buddhist temple called the Zen Mountain Monastery at Mount Tremper Ulster County The main building was built in the 1930s designed in the Arts and Crafts Movement style The camp was leased to various institutions over the years In 1980 it was acquired by the Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen Buddhism and is currently a monastery and retreat center Bluestone has always been very well suited for masonry but this building is an architectural masterpiece The front displays artfully cut stone framing the windows and underlying a beautiful wooden roofline Inside there is a fine bluestone fireplace In 37 the rear a magnificent figure of Jesus presides over events held in a small bluestone amphitheater And it gets even better as you wander around the scenic grounds We couldn t take enough photos nor can we publish enough We d like you to go and visit all these locations and you could start here We found a mongrel selection of bluestone slabs mixed with a variety of other stone at Gloria Dei Episcopal Church in Palenville in Greene County This beautiful small church in the wilderness was first thought of under the planning of Rev Louis Legrand Noble of St Luke s in 1853 Intermittent services in other venues for several years led to the donation of the property Soon funds

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32_39_Rocks_of_Ages_GEOLOGIST qxp_Template 2 19 16 8 45 PM Page 7 were raised and a design was donated by William H Day of New York City The lot was cleared of undergrowth Some stones from the nearby creek bed were incorporated with 100 loads of stone drawn from neighboring quarries by friends Construction continued but winter services could not be held until 1881 when the windows were finally placed It was during that winter that the interior was finished and an organ donated by Trinity Church in Saugerties under Rev Thomas Cole Jr was put in place The rough hewn hemlock seating was last to be replaced in 1885 St Francis de Sales Catholic Church on Main Street in Phoenicia Ulster County deserves special credit It was built in 1904 by the local community again from local stone according to a design by Rev M Julien Ginet MS its first pastor Across the street a bluestone path leads up to the Shrine and Meditation Garden of Our Lady of Salette There was no record available of the Shrine s builder but he had a very keen eye for good stone The path is composed of blue stone slabs with ripple marks on them which gives them an extra touch that the mason surely intended He had selected those stones specially The two bluestone slabs left and right display some very unusual features they are called scour crescents Like most all bluestone these slabs formed at the bottom of a Devonian age stream channel Objects had lain upon these stream bottoms and they had deflected the water s flow The flows had scoured into the sand and right Path to Our Lady of Salette Shrine with ripple marked bluestone slabs at St Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Phoenicia below Crescent marks in bluestone at Our Lady of Salette shrine 38 Gloria Dei Episcopal Church in Palenville Postcard view

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32_39_Rocks_of_Ages_GEOLOGIST qxp_Template 2 19 16 8 45 PM Page 8 St John s Episcopal Church in Delhi created those crescents Once again these are stones that the mason had spotted and selected to make a special touch for his let s call it what it is creation St Francis de Sales is typical of what we see in church building stone in the western Catskills We have left the 39 realm of proper bluestone and entered into the region of the ancient Catskill Delta Here the sandstones were deposited on the lands of the great and primitive fossil Gilboa Forest Like Bangladesh today this was a huge delta in a tropical landscape Red is the typical color of soils and terrestrial sediments in that setting red sandstones form when these harden into rock Churches built in such locations are commonly composed of a bright red sandstone We found a good one in Delaware County s Delhi St John s Episcopal Church This handsome building is composed entirely of a uniformly red variety of Catskill sandstone If anything it is more beautiful on the inside with a remarkable number of appointments there The original wood frame building was completed in 1831 and survived until it was destroyed by fire in 1935 But in 1888 a Memorial Chapel was built of local red sandstone It was designed by Burling and Whitehouse of Chicago for the Sheldon family which gifted the structure to the church The Chapel as it is in its current extended form replaced the original wooden structure to become the church proper It is a beautiful and rare example of Romanesque architecture in Delaware County We hope that you will do what we have done go out and really pay attention to your local stone churches We saw that a great deal of love and dedication went into their design and building People worked hard to pick the best stone and took great pride in what they had accomplished We owe it to them to share in that pride We wish to thank all the people we met at these locations They always made us feel more than welcome Contact the authors at randjtitus prodigy net Join their Facebook page The Catskill Geologist

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46_50_Blue_Spruce_TREES qxp_Template 2 19 16 7 36 PM Page 3 Besides the property s potential for an orchard yoga studio and the glorified man cave aka sugarhouse it also came furnished with three Christmas trees Now if one were to stand in front of our house few would recognize the presence of Christmas trees But after visiting hundreds of properties and homes throughout the Catskill Mountains as the Catskill Forest Association s Education Forester I knew those three 20 foot tall blue spruce trees would require cutting down and why not use their tops for Christmas trees Blue spruce Picea pungens is an evergreen or conifer tree more specifically it s a spruce tree Unlike that of hemlock fir or pine trees spruce needles are short and pointy The tree s Latin name pungens supposedly means sharply pointed in reference to its needles Blue spruce may have more sharply pointed needles than its spruce counterparts but it differs mainly in one distinct way its foliage As its name implies it can contain needles that are blue in color Because very few things are above A blue spruce in an advanced stage of disease Note the dead branches as the disease migrates upward left Closeup of an affected branch opposite page A blue spruce having had its diseased branches removed 48

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46_50_Blue_Spruce_TREES qxp_Template 2 19 16 7 36 PM Page 4 blue in the natural landscape blue spruce stands out making it highly prized in the world of horticulture there are 38 listed varieties Varieties are sold throughout both the western and eastern United States as both Christmas trees and landscape trees Finding a blue spruce near a house in the Catskill Mountains is easy to do chances are you have one growing already But how s it doing We ll get to that in a moment To better understand this tree we must first trace it back to its origins Other common names for blue spruce are silver spruce Colorado blue spruce and Colorado spruce The latter two names give away its native range the Rocky Mountains of the western United States Blue spruce grows throughout many portions of the central and southern Rocky Mountains from southern Wyoming eastern Idaho south into Utah 49 Colorado Arizona and New Mexico Although the climate there is drier than in our Catskill Mountains it is predominantly cooler In addition blue spruce primarily grows within the Rockies where there is more moisture such as on north facing slopes stream valleys hollows etc In these areas the average annual precipitation is about 18 to 24 inches whereas in the Catskills we normally receive more than 40 Some places like near the Catskills Slide Mountain receive over 60 inches of rain annually However blue spruce according to the USDA Forest Service seems to be stressed when things heat up above 80 deg F Extreme heat during the summer or rain can be common in many portions of the Catskills but isn t so common in the higher elevations or cooler hollows atop the Rocky Mountains This brings us back to the Christmas trees As previously mentioned blue spruces are planted abundantly for both Christmas trees and landscape ornamentals throughout the northeast Although not all these trees are brilliantly blue in their native lands those that are cultivated and sold commercially are propagated for this desired genetic trait However Christmas tree farmers normally harvest their crop between 8 and 14 years and also are highly attentive to each and every tree otherwise fewer sales On the other hand landscape trees are left to grow In its native range blue spruce can live a healthy life past 600 years However in the Catskills it typically shows severe signs of stress around a mere 25 years These trees are planted widely throughout the Catskills for their brilliant blue foliage However just when they begin to reach a height where their aesthetic benefits can be realized they begin to suffer from an

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46_50_Blue_Spruce_TREES qxp_Template 2 19 16 7 36 PM Page 5 For a delightful experience and your cooking pleasure The Cheese Barrel GOURMET SHOP CAFE SPECIALTY ITEMS THE COUNTRY STORE with International Flavor ugly canker According to the University of Minnesota Extension Cytospora canker is a pathogen common on trees stressed by drought winter injury or other factors As a tree is stressed a fungus Cytospora kunzei colonizes the branch Symptoms first include foliage turning mottled or brown Afterwards a white resin coating infecting branches will be visible Finally and after several years the fungus will girdle and kill the branch causing cankers or dead sections The progression spreads up the tree killing branches as it goes Cytospora kunzei spores are spread by wind or raindrops Perhaps hot Catskills summers mixed with rain act as a catalyst in spreading this ugly canker but nobody seems to know with certainty The disease rarely kills the trees but surely creates the antithesis of an ornamental What to do Unfortunately there isn t much one can do You could instead opt to initially plant better suited spruce trees like Norway spruce or white spruce both do extremely well in the Catskills If you do have a blue sprue that is doing well so far then make sure it has plenty of water during those hot and dry summer days Try not to spray the foliage with Fresh Domestic Imported Cheeses Cold Cuts Homemade Soups Sandwiches Candies Cookies Ice Cream Crackers Jellies Gourmet Coffees Teas Homemade cheese spreads etc Susan hlo Fred I Hosts Specializing in CUSTOMIZED GOURMET HOLIDAY GIFT BASKETS ESPRESSO CAPPUCCINO ICE CREAM PARLOR EXPANDED DINING AREA Breakfast Lunch Sandwiches Made To Order Corner of Main Bridge Streets Margaretville 845 586 4666 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 50 water since this can help spread the aforementioned fungal spores Slow deep watering is better than frequent shallow watering Mulching can also help moderate soil moisture conditions Fungicides have not proven effective on treating this canker because symptoms are not readily seen until the tree is already highly infected If your tree does have dead branches normally first near the bottom then carefully prune away each branch Make sure you wipe off your pruning shears after each cut with a 10 percent chlorine bleach solution so as not to spread spores it s a tedious task Your last option is to remove the tree that s what I did in 2012 I counted the rings on my blue spruce trees and they added to 26 Some could say that 26 years is far enough from now for one to care However why plant a tree for its aesthetic benefits if it s only going to die when it starts looking like a nice big tree especially if it s for a privacy screen Also after hundreds of visits to properties throughout the Catskills and many received phone calls from concerned members I have seen many thousands of dollars spent on removing blue spruce trees near homes If you don t remove them then someone else will I cut the top out of each tree and made Christmas trees for three years Blue spruces do make nice Christmas trees as ornaments can easily be hung from their stout branches just don t bump into their needles late at night while carrying firewood into the house they bite In summary save yourself or the next landowner some money by not planting blue spruce It is a beautiful tree but an unhappy one living in the Catskills If you don t believe me play a game the next time you drive around Look for dead branches spreading from the bottom up on blue spruce www catskillforest org

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52_61_North_Branch_Inn_LODGING_DINING qxp_Template 2 21 16 11 48 AM Page 6 grated into the building As we entered stepping off the rustic bluestone sidewalk onto the porch we were greeted by the accommodating and cordial innkeeper Tess Grasso One enters the inn through an original painstakingly restored oak door into the vestibule To the left is a cozy sitting room which is equipped with an abundant array of books and brochures announcing local activities and places of interest designed to enhance an experience of the place to quote Sims For example Bethel famous for the Woodstock concert showcases a museum and concert venues The Dancing Cat Saloon and Catskill Distillery are also Bethel attractions For those wishing to just chill out the inn offers a quiet backyard with a soothing brook a partial wrap around porch for sitting plus plenty of space to stroll in the village and beyond Upstairs the five guest rooms furnished in an interesting fashion presented a challenge for Sims and his wife Kirsten who successfully used 57

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52_61_North_Branch_Inn_LODGING_DINING qxp_Template 2 21 16 11 48 AM Page 7 their imagination to create eclectic country chic simple and very comfortable spaces Modern tiled bathrooms with showers are featured In keeping with the prevailing philosophy of the importance of the experience of the place there are no televisions WI FI connection is available Back downstairs to the right of the vestibule are the bar restaurant and bowling alley Allegedly the bar came from the 1939 World s Fair in New York City The bar s ceiling is covered with original embossed tin Executive chef Erik Hill center with assistant chef Chris Shaver right Restaurant manager Megan Kinearly is on the left restored and painted white The bar offers a wide selection of beverages from Catskill distilleries wineries and breweries It includes several varieties of hard cider most appropriate for this once apple producing area A can of Bad Seed hard apple cider with a pleasant punch and flavor of apples was very enjoyable Adjacent to the deco style bar and dining area is chef Erik Hill s large open kitchen with a unique two lane bowling alley beyond Hill and his fianc e restaurant manager Megan Kinearly are a culinary team supported by spritely wait and bar staff to skillfully produce culinary masterpieces with lighting speed Hill born in Maine worked in several farm to table restaurants in 58 New York City for 14 years before overseeing the culinary program at Arnold House and now at The North Branch Inn as well He is inspired by the many local farmers and artisans who proudly provide him with a broad array of fresh meats and produce We source from our neighbors as much as possible to create a new world of cuisine At the evening culinary presentation we were joined by Sims while he shared local history and a vision of his objectives He presented us with two glasses of effervescent hard cider one was Doc s light crisp and dry and the other Naked Flock less dry with a more aromatic apple flavor and a pleasant aroma Being accustomed to wine with supper this

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52_61_North_Branch_Inn_LODGING_DINING qxp_Template 2 21 16 11 48 AM Page 8 hard cider was a surprising and very pleasing change Sims is passionately focused on the food being a cornerstone of the experience but even more the warm spirited friendly service that makes guests feel at home Whether it is for a meal or a weekend stay we want people to discover the Catskills and this amazing area Sims family has been in the Livingston Manor area for over 100 years 5 generations He began his working career as a dishwasher at the end of the booming Golden Age of the Sullivan County Catskills Sims parents are educators his mom a longtime classroom teacher and his dad a teacher principal and administrator foreshadowing Sims management talent His parents saw that he went to college where he studied music at Shepherd in West Virginia Breaks from school provided more work experience as a substitute teacher After college in the early 2000s Sims who always seems to find serendipitous situations found work as a maintenance man at Lotus a several thousand seat celebrity nightspot in New York City He quickly evolved into an assistant general manager orchestrating safe good times and good business Sims like the cream on farm fresh milk seems to rise to the top A section of the dining room Although the kitchen is visible through glass doors it is not intrusive below SMALLS similar to appetizers This one featured Risotto w farro butternut squash confit and watermelon radish 59

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52_61_North_Branch_Inn_LODGING_DINING qxp_Template 2 21 16 11 49 AM Page 9 SALADS left Broccoli leaf with salsify pumpkin pur e charred onion and smoked peach bottom left Kale with bacon pickled mustard seed apple bacon vinaigrette BLUE PLATE DINNERS below Pork cheeks with spiced carrot pur e confit of fingerling potato mixed greens opposite page top Venison as jus with fingerling potato celery root DESSERT below right Butternut cr me br l e with burnt maple sugar topping Sims experienced hospitality training working with chef Geoffrey Zakarian at Country a Michelin starred restaurant in New York City Fast forward to today Sims is a vice president of Commune Hotels and Resorts overseeing cuisine and nightlife for over 50 establishments worldwide Sims and Kirsten an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York have felt the pull of their roots in upstate New York When we have capital we put it into something up here He has a vision of building a hospitality business in the Catskills that will fully support Kirsten and their new son Max After several coffee shops and restaurants the Fosters have ventured into 60

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52_61_North_Branch_Inn_LODGING_DINING qxp_Template 2 21 16 11 50 AM Page 10 Menus change periodically thanks to Erik s innovative imagination As this menu was for December Erik oriented the dishes to reflect fall and winter produce such as the use of pumpkin venison trout and pork A very pleasant surprise was his use of broccoli leaves cooked and raw in salad I learned something A compliment to Erik for his innovative use of spices herbs and pickles of all type At table Sims presented two glasses of hard apple cider One Doc s Light effervescent and very dry the other Naked Flock also effervescent was less dry but not sweet and with more apple flavor Being used to wine at meals THIS was an excellent and appreciated change It accompanied the meal perfectly hotel ownership The Arnold House in Livingston Manor was first in 2014 Sims and Kirsten had already begun a hospitality enterprise with The Arnold House Often overflow guests from large wedding parties requested additional lodgings Jennifer Grimes of Grahamsville through Red Cottage Rental Company was able to help the Fosters She is also a real estate agent who had a pocket listing on a partially restored inn in North Branch The former owner Victoria Lesser had done a great amount of sensitive restoration of the historic inn The Fosters looked and purchased In 2015 they opened The North Branch Inn and an expansion of four newly renovated suites with old fashioned clawfoot tubs and a library just across the street in a 19thcentury house Sims then excused himself to attend to business at The Arnold House As he left he said It is an honor to introduce our guests to the best the region has to offer as 61 well as to make them feel at home Simple hospitality made this area it can be the basis of our future We are proud of our region county and town and proud to be the next generation to reconstruct the Catskills The North Branch Inn is at 869 N Branch Road 845 482 2339 www northbranchinn com below left The nineteenth century Italianate house which the Fosters purchased as an expansion for the increasing number of guests both at The Arnold House and at The North Branch Inn The house is located opposite The North Branch Inn and features four suites clawfoot tubs and a library The renovations are now completed and the guest house is open below The unstoppable duo Sims and Kirsten Harlow Foster hospitality experts who have created The Arnold House and The North Branch Inn photography courtesy the Fosters

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64_Belligerent_Black_Fly_KRITTERS qxp_Template 2 19 16 11 13 PM Page 1 KaatskillKritters The Belligerent BLACK FLY by Nicholas Zacharczenko D D S It is celebrated with its own festival by a small tourist oriented village in the Adirondacks while simultaneously vilified by other residents of the northeast such is the juxtapositional reputation of the ignominious black fly Much like the maligned mosquito this tiny and seemingly insignificant fly is a bane and pain of every spring in the Adirondacks and now with a relatively recent southern territorial shift the Catskills as well The black fly family Simuliidae is a true fly and outwardly seems rather drab dull and uninspiring Although puny at around 5 to 10mm in length and appearing in a grayish black hue our particular local species is nevertheless robust and pugnacious in character A swarm of bloodthirsty females can quickly ruin an outdoor spring barbecue or walkabout These flies can be relentless circling patiently around potential victims before gently alighting and feeding Both sexes obtain nourishment from nectar however the females require a proteinaceous blood meal for egg production How did we get these darn flies in the Catskills They re supposed to be an Adirondacks thing Ironically our conservationist zeal for cleaning up the environment especially water sources has made the black fly population surge and spread Their breeding success is highly sensitive to levels of water pollution In late Black fly family Simuliidae spring early summer up to 500 missile shaped eggs are laid on or near pristine fresh fast running water in brooks and streams Less water pollution equals more dissolved oxygen equals more black flies These pesky insects undergo true or complete metamorphosis The egg to adult cycle lasts approximately one year or season with the last larval stage overwintering attached by its rump to underwater rocks and logs The immature young although attached at their back end dine on microscopic life filtered from the rushing water Underwater predatory animals sometime munch on the larvae but oftentimes the water is moving too rapidly to get a bite to eat Adults emerge from the cone shaped pupae cocoons and survive for a few weeks usually up to July 64 The adult females feed during the day usually biting victims on the head or upper body near hairlines if possible They usually prefer mammalian hosts and humans just happen to be easily available and relatively hairless collateral victims easy eats Their feeding methods are often a bloody mess Whereas mosquitoes puncture and sip black flies slash and slurp Their saliva prevents blood clotting and is also numbing to the site Children are particularly vulnerable because of generally being unaware of these aerial pests Black flies like to creep through holes and crevices of clothing and they gingerly sneak around to exposed skin areas on people before putting the bite on them The ensuing wound often becomes itchy and swollen for days and weeks and sometimes an infection may occur Multiple bites can cause black fly fever a flu like illness most likely linked to the insect s salivary components River blindness in Latin American countries is caused by black flies transmitting a nasty parasitic nematode which actually causes it These teeny weeny flying meanies are persnickety little devils that create a lot of discomfort and misery Found worldwide it s a difficult problem to control black flies Insecticide spraying and using BTI dunks during the larval stages are the preferred courses of action However adult females can fly great distances and often reinfest treated areas Nevertheless DEET full body clothing and head netting can thwart humans from being bitten when outdoors I used to laugh at our Adirondack neighbors for harboring and putting up with such a pestilent scourge But I m no longer laughing they re here

Spring 2016

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