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A MAGAZINE SPRING 2018 FOR KAATSKILL VOLUME 33 LIVING NUMBER 1
TOC O SPRING 2018 VOLUME 33 NUMBER 1 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 20 KAATSKILL HIKING LET S TAKE A WALK TO THE NEVERSINK HEADWATERS by Peter Senterman 28 KAATSKILL TREES AMERICAN PLUM A FRUITFUL OPPORTUNITY by Ryan Trapani 8 GIFFORD PINCHOT ARCHITECT OF MODERN CONSERVATIONISM by Lawrence C Swayne M D 32 KAATSKILL LODGINGS YOUR INVITATION AWAITS AT THE WOODSTOCK INN ON THE MILLSTREAM by Rebecca Andrea 38 KAATSKILL DINING CUCINA A TASTE OF THE OLD COUNTRY IN WOODSTOCK by Rebecca Andrea 44 BITE ME BAKERY By Rebecca Andre
Kaat Chat As Spring has finally struggled through the late snow cover it is time to savor the beauties of the wild and scenic Catskills In this issue the conservation legacy of Gifford Pinchot is explored He was influential in the evolution of the Catskill Park as well as private conservation efforts The Catskill Forest Association presents the American Plum as offering the prospect of a more fruitful forest Various local business persons are featured to showcase a portion of the wide variety of culinary and hospitality treats that await your visit to these beautiful hills Please check out the regional calendar of events for updates on places to go and things to do as you plan your visit CONSULTANT Nina A M Lawford Juviler PUBLISHER AND EDITOR Donald F Bishop II FAX 607 746 3135 CONTRIBUTORS Peter Senterman Robert Titus Johanna Titus Michael Kudish Justin Askins John Rowen Ryan Trapani Larry Gambon Lawrence C Swayne Lillian Browne Rebecca Andre LaVerne Black Francis X Driscoll ART DIRECTOR LAYOUT John Stys and Cathy Roloson PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Donald F Bishop II COPY EDITOR Bertha K Rogers CALENDAR OF EVENTS WEB MASTER Cathy Roloson FAX 607 746 3135 SUBSCRIPTIONS Cathy Roloson BOOKKEEPER Sherri Telian PUBLISHER The Delaware County Times Inc web site www kaatslife com e mail info kaatslife com Marguerite Rocholl Digital Subscriptions 20 To get your Kaatskill Life digital subscription Visit www kaatslife com and click on button for subscriptions You can pay with PayPal or you can send a check or money order to Kaatskill Life 56 Main Street Delhi NY 13753 Please be sure to include your name address phone number and email so we can process your order 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 Rt 20 SCHO GREEN 8 42 DELAWARE 28 17 ULSTER 213 9 0 2 149 D E L AW A R E 97 17 R I VE R BITE ME BAKERY P HOENICIA 23 23 A SULLIVAN 97 NY STATE THRUW AY 87 10 23 30 9W 206 10 E 4 28 YOUR INVITATION AWAITS AT THE WOODSTOCK INN ON THE MILLSTREAM W OODSTOCK N H U D S O N R I VE R 23 30 HARIE 21 I 8 10 28 OTS EGO 8 145 I 8 23 CUCINA A TASTE OF THE OLD COUNTRY IN WOODSTOCK W OODSTOCK 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 2018 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 AMERICAN PLUM A FRUITFUL OPPORTUNITY O LIVE LET S TAKE A WALK TO THE NEVERSINK HEADWATERS N EVERSINK GIFFORD PINCHOT ARCHITECT OF MODERN CONSERVATIONISM M ILFORD PA Locations are approximate 2 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 Larry Gambon inside front cover Pete Sentermann inside back cover Francis X Driscoll back cover Francis X Driscoll
OPEN MAY 12 STATION DEPART ARRIVE STATION Arkville 11 00 a m 11 50 a m Roxbury Roxbury 12 10 p m 1 00 p m Arkville Arkville 2 00 p m 2 50 p m Roxbury Roxbury 3 10 p m 4 00 p m Arkville July 7 6 30 pm September 1 6pm TWILIGHT ON THE RAILS MUSIC TRAINS This specially scheduled ride provides an evening of live music aboard the train featuring one of the region s top bands Blues Maneuver Bring a picnic and beverages June 9 10 September 29 30 VINTAGE STEAM Rides powered by a vintage Steam Locomotive June 16 July 28 August 11 September 15 LIGHT HEARTED TRAIN ROBBERIES BBQ By The Catskill Mountain Bushwackers Historically accurate desperadoes of the 19th century will stage lighthearted holdups of the D U A BBQ luncheon is part of the fun
360 Degrees will be a talk at Skene Memorial Library about the Fleischmann family and their local and major league connections to baseball over the years The Shandaken Museum in Pine Hill The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown in Margaretville The Ulster Delaware Rail Road Historical Society Museum in Roxbury and the Greater Fleischmanns Museum of Memories will host programs displays and guided visits Some sites are open both Saturday and Sunday while others are only operating one day So check out the list and see how many fascinating local history sites you can fit into one weekend Events and tours are free unless listed otherwise A map of this year s locations will be added to the website HeadwatersHistoryDays org There you can also find complete details scheduling information and credits given to the groups and businesses collaborating to make this historic weekend happen DELAWARE C OUNTY Headwaters History Days June 8 10 Discover and celebrate the history culture folklife and landscape of the Central Catskills through events exhibits and open houses during Headwaters History Days 2018 Whether you were born here or just visiting the weekend promises to be reminiscent educational and inspiring Now in its fifth year history buffs photographers and families are in for a busy weekend As it does each year the lineup has changed a bit Many old favorites are still involved such as Hubbell Family Farm in Kelly Corners The Old Stone Schoolhouse in Dunraven The Empire State Railway Museum in Phoenicia and the Methodist Church Clock Tower in Roxbury New this year will be visits to the Second Old School Baptist Meeting House in the hills above Roxbury and a vintage baseball game with the Mountain Athletic Club in Fleischmanns The evening before the ball game there Delaware County Ag Incubator to Debut Spring 2018 A collaborative effort between multiple organizations that will provide Delaware County s agriculture industry with a much needed economic boost is coming to fruition Delaware County FoodWorks an agriculture based business incubator will open its doors in Andes the gateway to western Delaware County at the end of May FoodWorks is an umbrella for a rentable licensed shared commercial kitchen for product creation while it s companion retail outlet Catskills Regional Harvest management team will offer product testing and marketing opportunities for food entrepreneurs as well as established farmers and producers to diversify their operations to include value added products Having an established shared commercial kitchen will remove a financial barrier for small ag related businesses that are looking to develop products FoodWorks will provide a much needed boost to Delaware County s economy Established ag related businesses will be able to enhance the sustainability of their current enterprise which will help preserve Delaware County s farm landscape by increasing the profitability of regional agriculture 4
360 Degrees In a county where dairy was once king thriving farms have taken a niche market approach There are all manner of farmers and producers to be found throughout Delaware County who will be offering their products for sale at FoodWorks from cider and kefir to maple syrup farmed fish goat cheese hot sauce and honey FoodWorks will also house an event and meeting space as well as a visitor center For more information about FoodWorks contact Ray Pucci at 607 746 2281 around the corner and start weaving your way through TAP New York s brewers pouring as many as 400 different styles of beer Held annually at the end of April and praised as the state s largest craft beer festival as well as the largest single state craft beer event in the nation TAP New York features hundreds of beers from over 120 breweries throughout New York State Prizes are awarded for the Best Craft Brewery in New York State Greene County s own Crossroads Brewing Co was awarded a bronze medal in 2015 as well as Best Craft Brewery in the Hudson Valley There s more than beer spend your visit sampling amazing food pairings that only make the beer taste better Get early admission VIP parking and your own selection of special craft beers and more TAP New York is the perfect place to choose your new favorite beverage Route 23A Hunter 518 263 4223 www tap ny com Plattekill Mountain reported a phenomenal end to the season According to Christy Jaromack marketing and group sales manager things started off slow There would be snow then a 60 degree day followed by rain Thanks to Winter Storm Riley business skyrocketed especially the Saturday after the storm when two neighboring mountains were without electricity The mountain gained some new already repeat customers that weekend There were cars parked two miles down the road and a shuttle running There was power but no internet so it was cash only sales until about noon March 3rd turned out to be a fantastic day with an amazing vibe said Jaromack On Easter weekend the newly expanded deck was open with the grill and music going as a way to celebrate spring skiing Skiers are encouraged to purchase their 2018 2019 season passes before April 30 for the best price Even though winter is almost over the fun will still continue Starting July 4th weekend free concerts on the first Saturday of each month are planned through October Go to plattekill com for summer hours mountain biking weekends and dates for the annual fall festival Plattepalooza There you can also book a camping or glamping trip in the pond side private dome tent or find information on planning a wedding or a private full mountain rental where the entire venue can be yours for the day Plattekill Mountain 469 Plattekill Road Roxbury NY 12474 Contact 607 326 3500 plattekill com OTSEGO COUNTY Cooperstown Blues Express Saturday Nights May 19 October 6 7PM Join us for a 3 Hour Rockin Blues Party every Saturday night featuring some of the best bands in upstate N Y Riders can enjoy food and drink Full cash bar with beer and wines Reservations encouraged for large groups Train Robberies June 30 July 14 28 August 11 25 September 22 October 6 1PM Travel back in time to the exciting world of Outlaws and The Wild West The train is carrying a strong box full to the brim with money and the local Outlaw Gang knows it Will the bandits get away with the loot or will the Lawmen prevail Find out as a passenger on the Train Robbery featuring action packed shoot outs period costumes and fun entertainment for the whole family Reservations Required Milford Depot 1 3 6 E a s t M a i n S t M i l f o r d 6 0 7 43 2 24 29 www lrhs com GREENE C OUNTY SCHOHARIE C OUNTY TAP New York at Hunter Mountain APRIL 28 29 Picture yourself arriving at the base of one the most beautiful mountains in the Catskills Now take a deep breath of April mountain air still crisp enough to remind you of the winter you ve slogged through and warm enough to assure you summer s Spring into Fashion Show Dinner Join us for another fun filled Fashion Show and delicious dinner event View all of the new Spring Fashions 5
360 Degrees for 2o18 Dance for a Chance will be back again for you to win up to 40 off on your purchase the night of the event A delicious dinner fun entertainment and discounts Make it a Girl s Night Out at Grapevine Farms April 21 7PM Register online at www grapevinefarms com or by calling us at 518 2349148 2373 State Route 7 Cobleskill 10th Annual GRACE 5K RACE WALK for YOUTH This annual 5K RACE WALK is sponsored by Fields of Grace Outreach a 501 c 3 not for profit charitable youth organization in Schoharie County This year s 10th Annual Grace 5K Race Walk is a CELEBRATION for the 10th year of this race walk event Proceeds go toward keeping the programs for youth FREE throughout the year It is an inter generational event The course runs from 490 Ecker Hollow Rd Schoharie down to our pavilion at 3673 St Rt 145 E Cobleskill just before Gobbler s Knob Family Fun Park Free t shirts free BBQ Live entertainment and more SULLIVAN C OUNTY Tulip Festival Mother s Day Celebration May 13 11AM 4PM Tired of the same old dinner reservations for Mother s Day Avoid the crowded restaurant and celebrate Mom by bringing her to Honor s Haven Resort and Spa s 8th Annual Tulip Festival Mothers Day Celebration This one day event is guaranteed to bring a smile to Mom s face with a spectacular collection of vendors live music and entertainment a highly anticipated Mother s Day Luncheon and this year s newly added recreation and activities This event is one that is sure to make memories to last a lifetime Honor s Haven Resort Spa 1195 Arrowhead Road Ellenville
360 Degrees ULSTER C OUNTY Spring Storms a Peak for Ski Season In March a Nor easter triple header dumped up to six feet of accumulative snow on local ski slopes Winter Storms Riley Quinn and Skylar paved the way for recordbreaking ski weekends We have been ecstatic for this last month said Joe McCracken of Belleayre Mountain Ski Center regarding March Despite electricity being out on March s first New England Horsemen s Council Junior and Adult Medals Coming to HITS Saugerties in 2018 The New England Horsemen s Council NEHC has recently announced that it will allow USEF Horse Shows in NYS to offer the NEHC Medals effective May 1 HITS Saugerties is pleased to announce that it is one of the first horse shows to sign up to offer these classes The New England Medal Finals is a great event and has always been popular for riders in the Northeast said Tom Struzzeri President and CEO of HITS We are thrilled that NEHC has opened up their program to shows in New York and are pleased to offer these classes to our customers Under NEHC rules HITS Saugerties will be able to offer two qualifying classes each week for the NEHC Junior Medal and NEHC Adult Medal We have had many requests from New York riders who wanted to qualify for the NEHC Finals in their home state said Joe Dotoli member of the New England Equitation Championships Committee It s a natural fit for the NEHC to expand to New York to invite and encourage more riders to attend our Finals The New England Equitation Championships were first held 43 years ago and now stands as a tribute to what can be accomplished when horsemen and horsewomen work together for the good of the sport For many years people around the country have referred to the NEEC as the finest regional medal finals in the country according the NEEC Website s History of the Championships For more information visit the New England Horsemen s Council and the New England Equitation Championships Friday and Saturday due to Winter Storm Riley s three feet of heavy snow once it had been restored Sunday proved to be a record breaker March typically is their most snowy month and McCracken was hopeful that conditions and skier traffic would take the ski season through until April 15 Along with the new Catskill Thunder an eight person gondola that made its inaugural roar up the mountain on December 30 2017 Belleayre has constructed a new Deer Run extension trail and is also in the planning stages of a Discovery Lodge renovation 2018 2019 season passes are already on sale Visit belleayre com for information on summer fun at Belleayre Beach biking fall events or to plan your banquet or wedding Go to belleayremusic org for information on the upcoming concert season Belleayre Mountain Ski Center 181 Galli Curci Road Highmount NY 12441 Contact 845 254 5600 or 800 942 6904 belleayre com 7
Gifford Pinchot oil painting by unnamed artist hangs at Grey Towers Milford Pennsylvania 8
Gifford Pinchot Architect of Modern Conservationism by Lawrence C Swayne MD photography by author unless otherwise indicated I believe it is but just to say that among the many many public officials who under my administration rendered literally invaluable service to the people of the United States Gifford Pinchot on the whole stood first Theodore Roosevelt Gifford Pinchot with parents Mary Eno and James Pinchot The Pinchots wealthy and socially conscious encouraged their son to become a forester They also funded the startup of Yale School of Forestry in 1900 The Yale summer camp of forestry was held on the grounds of Grey Towers insert Gifford Pinchot on the cover Time Magazine in 1925 after he had successfully mediated an anthracite miners strike 9
In the summer of 1972 Dr Gifford Bryce Pinchot a founding board member of the Natural Resources Defense Council and other concerned environmentalists toured the devastated clear cut mountains of the Bitterroot Valley Exasperated the only son of Gifford Pinchot America s foremost forester exclaimed If my father had seen this he would have cried The American Forestry Association promptly rebutted declaring the dead forester 1865 1946 would below left Gifford and his wife Cornelia She was 16 years younger than Gifford came from a wealthy family and was an ardent supporter of her husband below right Pinchot and Theodore Roosevelt on the steamer Mississippi He and President Roosevelt were great friends hiking swimming and boxing together Pinchot once had the honor of knocking the future president of the United States off his very solid pins from Gifford Pinchot s autobiography Breaking New Ground Together they established 150 national parks 51 federal bird reserves 4 national game preserves 5 national parks and 18 national monuments encompassing over 230 million acres As a close confident and speech writer for Roosevelt Pinchot also served as a public spokes person protecting the popular president from angry grazing logging and mining conglomerates Gifford Pinchot and Theodore Roosevelt Inland Waterways Commission 1907 Grey Towers NHS Collection 10
not have tolerated such amateur dilettantes Who was Gifford Pinchot Why was his legacy contested more than a quarter of a century after his death and is it still relevant today The grandson of a wealthy timber baron Gifford Pinchot developed the professional discipline of US to Harold Ickes proposed transfer of the US Forest Service from the Department of Agriculture to a new Department of Conservation was ultimately counterproductive to the environmental cause Gifford Pinchot was named after his godfather and Hudson River School painter Sanford Gifford top left The Fight for Conservation by Gifford Pinchot After a trip to the South Pacific which included the Galapagos Islands he wrote a book To The South Seas and became one of the earliest advocates to preserve these islands from excessive tourism Books by Gifford Pinchot below left Breaking New Ground is Pinchot s intensely political autobiography left The Training of a Forester by Gifford Pinchot forestry and relentlessly opposed economic inequality and social discrimination He hiked swam and boxed with Theodore Roosevelt and was a key member of the president s Tennis Cabinet Roosevelt in turn couldn t think of a man whose loss would be a more real misfortune to the Nation although privately he conceded GP is a dear but he is a fanatic with an element of hardness and narrowness in his temperament Indeed Pinchot s reflexive opposition 11 whose painting of environmental despoliation Hunter Mountain Twilight hung in Pinchot s office for years a stark reminder of the necessity of conservation His pursuit of a forestry career was suggested by his socially conscious parents who frequented the Adirondacks and founded the Yale School of Forestry in 1900 After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy and Yale University Pinchot studied silviculture and tree farming at the l cole Nationale
Foresti re in Nancy France and visited the manicured forests of France Germany and Switzerland but soon longed to be in real woods again After 18 months abroad Pinchot returned in 1890 at age 25 to begin his meteoric rise as the first professionally trained US forester aided by his parents powerful connections and his own penchant for self promotion In 1891 he was hired by Phelps Dodge Company to survey holdings in Pennsylvania and Arizona and subsequently explored the Grand Canyon Yosemite the Sierras and Cascades The following year he worked with Frederick Law Olmsted managing 125 000 acres surrounding the George Vanderbilt mansion in North Carolina an effort widely hailed as the cradle of American forestry In rapid succession Pinchot became the consummate insider touring western forests with John Muir as part of the National Academy of Sciences Forest Commission in 1896 evaluating the nation s forest reserves as an agent of President McKinley s Interior Department in 1897 and becoming the fourth head of the Division of Forestry in 1898 and subsequently the first Chief of the US Forest Service with the transfer of national forests from the Department of Interior to the Department of Agriculture in 1905 An able administrator Pinchot molded the Forest Service into a potent decentralized bureaucracy that today oversees 154 national forests comprised of 193 million acres Together Theodore Roosevelt and Pinchot established 150 national forests 51 federal bird reserves four national game preserves five national parks and 18 national monuments encompassing over 230 million acres As a close confidante and speech writer for Roosevelt Pinchot also served as a public spokesperson protecting the popular president from angry grazing logging and mining conglomerates When Roosevelt s successor President William Taft opened the new public lands for corporate exploitation Pinchot was fired for insubordination as part of the Ballinger Affair in 1910 Two years later Pinchot served as Roosevelt s 12
opposite page President John F Kennedy visited Grey Towers on September 24 1963 to accept the Pinchot family gift of Grey Towers to the US Government insert National Historic Landmark plaque designation chief strategist speech writer and fundraiser during his failed independent Bull Moose US presidential run Never content to rest on his laurels Pinchot hosted a national conference on the conservation of natural resources in 1908 founded the National Conservation Association a prototype for the Wilderness Society National Wildlife Federation and National Resources Defense Council in 1909 ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in 1914 and worked briefly in the Food Administration of Herbert Hoover In 1920 he wrangled an appointment to the Pennsylvania Forest Commission and planted one million reforested trees Two years later he was elected Governor of Pennsylvania by a coalition of farm families industrial workers women and prohibitionists and continued his environmental initiatives with the establishment of the Pennsylvania below Wood Festival Brochure Grey Towers hosts a yearly festival which includes food forestry demonstrations such as rope climbing into the tree top wood crafts chainsaw carving educational exhibits vendors and children activities below right An exhibit of Woods of the World 13
Sanitary Water Board the nation s first state level anti pollution agency Once again he streamlined government through a decentralized administration converting a 32 million dollar deficit into a 6 7 million dollar surplus His effective mediation of an anthracite miners strike garnered a coveted cover portrait on Time magazine in 1925 Following another failed Senate run in 1926 he was again elected Governor of Pennsylvania during the Depression in 1930 With a focus on cost containment he nevertheless shepherded the passage of the Talbot Act to provide social welfare for the state s indigent population and established state road camps a forerunner to Franklin Roosevelt s Civilian Conservation Corps Unsuccessful third runs for the US Senate in 1934 and the Pennsylvania governorship in 1938 ended Pinchot s public career As the luster of his star waned Pinchot spent his remaining years burnishing his legacy with the intensely political autobiography Breaking New Ground published after his death in 1946 Any discussion of Pinchot s legacy must begin with the Hetch Hetchy Valley Dam controversy and the resultant fallout with his mentor and friend John Muir occasioning conservation s Pinchot Muir Divide between conservationism and preservationism Pinchot epitomized the US Forest Service s initial utilitarian conservationism emphasizing the greatest right Painted wood carving of a mother bear and her cub below An exhibit by The American Chestnut Foundation 14
left Grey Towers brochure below Grey Towers first occupied in August 1886 was the summer home of James and Mary Pinchot Gifford s parents On Gifford s 21st birthday August 11 1886 he was given a copy of The Earth as Modified by Human Action by George Perkins Marsh Grey Towers a Norman Breton bluestone manor with three 60 foot high turrets a great entrance hall 23 fireplaces and 44 rooms was designed by Richard Morris Hunt after Lafayette s La Grange a chateau in Courplay France The Pinchot family was of french ancestry Hunt also designed The Biltmore a Vanderbilt estate outside Asheville North Carolina where Gifford worked early in his career 15 good for the greatest number for the longest run while Muir embraced the US National Park Service s preservationism in opposition to the human capacity to destroy nature s delicate balance The ascendency of preservationism within modern environmental circles coupled with the timber industry s cooption of the Forest Service in the latter 20th century tarnished Pinchot s reputation by association leading critics to conclude Pinchot lacked Muir s awe of nature failed to formulate Aldo Leopold s land ethic and was merely a transitional figure from a pioneer to an ecological perspective These views have been challenged as caricatures frozen in time by Pinchot s biographer Char Miller Gifford Pinchot and the Making of
Modern Environmentalism who contends a significant component of Pinchot s legacy is not necessarily his greenness but his greening Pinchot s wife Cornelia seconded this assessment No one better understood that the battlefields of the future in certain respects must take different forms from those of the past He insisted that conservation must be reinvigorated revived remanned revitalized by each successive generation its implications its urgencies its logistics translated in terms of the present of each of them Pinchot compre top right A Viennese styled finger bowl The Pinchot s entertained around the bowl passing menu items to guests across the water in floating wooden serving dishes A wisteria pergola with a central opening stood above the finger bowl This allowed moonlight to illuminate dinner parties right Gifford Pinchot s bedroom below Grey Towers great entrance hall 16
below Gifford Pinchot historic marker along PA route 209 and the Pinchot family mausoleum in Milford Cemetery Milford Pennsylvania where Gifford is buried below right Gifford Pinchot and The Making of Modern Environmentalism a diffinitive biography by Char Miller Pinchot was named for Sanford Gifford a painter of the Hudson river School whose painting of environmental despoliation Hunter Mountain Twilight appears on the cover and hung in Pinchot s office for years below center Another book by Char Miller about Grey Towers and the Pinchot Institute for Conservation hended We live on the Earth and from the Earth and esteemed both conservationism and preservationism building a bridge across conservation s divide One example of Pinchot s intellectual evolution was his growing opposition to the industrial clear cutting he had restrained as Chief of the Forest Service As Governor of Pennsylvania he had worked assiduously to reforest the state and preserved the old growth forest in the Fairmont Park Association from logging With the Forest Service s increasing focus on commodity production contrary to public sentiment Pinchot resigned from the American Forestry Service and the Society of Foresters he had founded in 1900 Public lands exist because the people want them To make them accomplish the most good the people themselves must make clear how they want them run After witnessing absolute devastation in a Montana clear cut in 1937 Pinchot declared the Forest Service should absolutely declare against clear 17 cutting in Washington and Oregon as defensive measures After all woodlands are beautiful and a forest was a complex community with a life of its own Pinchot s greatest achievement conceived of necessity during the bleak Depression era was the development of a cohesive vision of the sustainable conservation of Earth s resources as the solution to economic hardship national attainment international peace and the future Pinchot avowed the purpose of conservation is to make this country the best place to live in both for us and our descendants The conservation of natural resources is the basis and only permanent basis of national success International cooperation in conserving utilizing and distributing natural resources to the mutual advantage of all nations might well remove one of the most dangerous of all obstacles to a just and permanent world peace The vast possibilities of our great future will become realities only if we make ourselves in a sense responsible for that future
On September 24 1963 President John F Kennedy traveled to Milford Pennsylvania to accept the Pinchot family gift of Grey Towers a Norman Breton bluestone manor with three 60 foot towers 23 fireplaces and 44 rooms which today is a national historic landmark serving as a Gifford Pinchot museum and offer ing interpretative tours and conservation programs Its partner the Pinchot Institute for Conservation a network of private and corporate philanthropies with local state and federal support formulates environmental policy and implementation of clean air clean water endangered species public lands management habitat restoration and social justice initiatives Author s Notes For more information see Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism and Seeking the Greatest Good The Conservation Legacy of Gifford Pinchot by Char Miller or visit Grey Towers in Milford Pennsylvania THE C CA AT TS SK KILL FOREST ASSOCIA ATION INC PRESENTS THE 9TH ANNU UAL CATSKILL S FORES RES ST FES ST TIV VAL IN MEMORY OF JAKE ROSA JULLY 28 28TH TH 10AM M 4PM MARG GARETVILLE ARETVIILLE PA PAVILION VENDORS LIVE MUSIC C LUMBERJACK SHO OWS WS FUN RUN TRUCK P PARADE ARADE E LIVE DEMONSTRA ATIONS ACTIVITIES EDUC CA ATION T ARTS CRAFTS FOOD BEVE ERA AGE GE TA TASTING WWW C A T SKILL F OR RES T F ES TIV AL COM 845 586 3054 CFA C AT SKILLFOR ES T ORG WWW WWW C C AT SKILLFORES T ORG 18
K tskillHiking left Sign at the parking lot below East Branch of the Neversink River 20
Let s Take a Walk to the Neversink Headwaters by Peter Senterman below The first bridge one comes to over the Neversink River with Bruce and Sandy crossing left Sign along the Phoenicia East Branch trail denoting the east end of the 580 mile Finger Lakes Trail stretching across the state from Allegheny State Park 21
Ever want to experience exploring a deeply wooded and remote area One of the few extensive and safer areas in the Catskills is the headwaters of the East Branch of the Neversink River located in the southeastern section of the Catskill Park The East Branch of the Neversink drains a large area surround ed by Slide Mountain the highest peak in the Catskills Friday Balsam Cap Rocky and Lone Mountain all above 3 500 feet in elevation The higher one follows the Neversink and its tributaries throughout the rugged terrain 22 Bruce Warden and Sandy enjoying the trail
Bruce gingerly negotiating the second rustic like bridge over the multi channel East Branch of the Neversink River Sandy opted to ford the river on foot The route follows the PhoeniciaEast Branch Trail from the trail head at Denning at its southern end Road access is from Claryville in Sullivan County at the intersection of County Routes 157 and 19 Proceed up County Route 19 through the hamlets of Ladleton and Denning to the large parking lot at the end of the road This parking lot is on private land as is the first mile of trail please respect the landowner s wishes and stay on the trail The yellow marked trail follows a wide wood road sometimes active with logging vehicles At 1 2 miles cross into Forest Preserve and the junction with the blue marked Peekamoose 23 Table Trail Turn right on blue markers Ahead with yellow markers it is 1 75 miles to the junction with the Curtis Ormsby Trail up Slide Mountain In less than 25 miles enter the broad valley of the East Branch of the Neversink and cross two large bridges over the river Beyond is the location of the old Denning Leanto and current designated camping areas Ahead on the trail begins the 2 5 mile often steep climb up Table Mountain Turn left after the second crossing and follow the broad Neversink upstream You are now on your way up along the stream Once away from the camping areas you may find the Fisherman s Path an unofficial
A section of Trail Map 143 24
printed with permission by NYN J Trail Conference 25
and unmarked herd path more or less paralleling the stream for 2 5 miles crossing and re crossing the stream several times For this reason it is not easy to stay on this path in medium to high water at any water level plan on getting wet feet Rock hopping to stay dry usually ends in at least wet feet but you may end with an injured back legs or arms after sliding on an unexpected wobbly or wet rock It s better to play safe wear waterproof boots or bring rubber boots to cross where necessary or simply bring a change of shoes and socks for walking out the trail The wide valley populated with large widely spaced and old deciduous trees slowly begins to narrow passing Donovan Creek and coming in from the right at 75 miles In another quarter mile the valley narrows to more of a vee shape without the wide banks that made for easy walking Continuing up the stream becomes splashy whitewater as you gain elevation The woods also slowly changes from open hardwoods to more jumbled trees that eventually give way to more numerous spruce and hemlock groves At 1 5 miles the walker comes to a beautiful area of large spruce trees where two small creeks come in from the right in rapid succession These top One of the markers used to guide people to designated campsites right Their faithful companion Sandy is ready to call it a day at the designated campsite located under Hemlocks on a knoll overlooking the stream 26
creeks drain Rocky Mountain and Balsam Cap to the east This area makes a great camping spot for those who want to backpack and spend a night in the quiet woods with only the creek to lull you to sleep Please camp at least 150 feet from the water s edge and camp staying in a previously used area to lessen the impact The Fisherman s Path ends here however you may find other herd paths to the above named mountains The stream itself continues about another mile before disappearing as springs and seeps Here the walker can head uphill until encountering the Burroughs Range Trail in the Col between Slide and Cornell Mountains A designated campsite is located close by on the Burroughs Trail depending on where you hit the marked trail Continuing beyond down the other side takes you into Woodland Valley and a very very long walk back to Denning and your car A variation of this walk can be done as a loop Continue left on the red marked Burroughs Trail climbing very steeply up the east face of Slide Mountain and down the more gentle Curtis Ormsby Trail to the PhoeniciaEast Branch Trail and left back to the parking lot in Denning The easier way is to go up Slide first descending the very steep east face and turning south right off the trail at the designated campsite and following the Neversink downstream eventually picking up the Fisherman s Path This is a twelve mile loop going over the highest peak in the Catskills Elevation gain from Denning is about 2200 feet Once down the steep slope of Slide the remainder of the walk is through untracked woods until you pick up the Fisherman s Path even that is sketchy and easy to lose The descent from the SlideCornell Col is rugged at best especially in the upper reaches south of the Burroughs Range Trail To make the loop an overnight camp in the designated campsite in the Col continuing down the Neversink the following day As with any trip in the woods especially when off trail carry a map and compass and know how to use them Once in the Neversink watershed you won t get lost as long as you continue downhill you will hit the stream and then follow it downstream south to southwest out to the Peekamoose Trail and out to your car If you do not feel comfortable off the marked trails this route is not for you Since you are 11 28 off trail and not easy to AM Page 1 find it is imperative that you leave your planned route and expected time back with someone Stick to the stream especially where the valley widens out this also makes you easier to find in the event of an emergency Travel with a companion for added safety If you are looking for an easy camp out with children a night spent at one of the designated camping sites past the second bridge is an ideal place Kids always enjoy playing in water and it s an easy enough walk for short legs A particularly nice site is on top of a knoll about a hundred or so yards past the bridge Enjoy 1068 Co Hwy 2 DeLancey NY 13752 stitchwitch43 gmail com PRICES TO E PLEAS 607 746 7308 607 267 8252 OWN A BUSINESS OR PLANNING AN EVENT Let Us Help You Promote It Put your name in front of everyone with SHIRTS SWEATSHIRTS JACKETS HATS MAGNETS ORNAMENTS CUPS MUCH MORE Whether It s EMBROIDERED OR PRINTED PERSONAL OR GIFT TO CUSTOMERS We Can Do It For You A CALL FOR TE FREE QUO NO MINIMU QUANTITY M The Black Raven The perfect mix of colonial and primitive style goods and accessories for your home The Black Raven Handmade primitive furniture shelves and early lighting 2 Wind Place Whitesboro New York 315 941 3766 27
KaatskillTrees American Plum A Fruitful Opportunity By Ryan Trapani Director of Forest Services CFA photos by Chester Karwatowski American plum is a small growing fruit tree that can be confused for hawthorn thornapple or ornamental crabapple I ve always had a sweet tooth I literally know where just about every gumball machine is in the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains Some grocery stores have them when you walk in and some don t I prefer the ones that do I remember the Hudson Valley Mall in Kingston had a couple of islands of gumball machines which made me feel inside a heaven of sugary abundance There s a few hardware stores too that have gumball machines I always feel a little awkward walking over to it putting a quarter in and waiting for the ball to swirl round and round to its final destination before taking my small treasure You know things are getting a little out of hand when excuses are made to stop and purchase something for the real pursuit of gum you know it s worse when you left with nothing but a gumball Sometimes it becomes apparent to me that perhaps I m the only one using these machines and the gumballs are probably pretty old One store owner commented You re the only one that uses that thing before taking the machine away for good I was sad to see it go 28
I ve rehabbed my sweet addiction over the years For starters I feel compelled to work for or earn my sweets these days For instance making maple syrup or growing fruit trees shrubs or vines is one method Also I ve come to appreciate some tart in my sweet When I was younger my favorite candy on earth was SweeTarts I d literally eat two packs while watching a soccer game they d start out as long and happy drum sticks and before I knew it were whittled down into magicmarker caps before vanishing into the abyss I haven t eaten SweeTarts in a long time After all I m trying to eat less sugar SweeTarts Growing on Trees One mid summer day a few years back I was walking my daughter Metta Mae Reaching out from the woods was a tree which had bark resembling a peach tree or a cherry tree The fruit was rather soft round and purplish red The flowers are white and extremely fragrant 29
Naturally I tried one and they tasted just like those SweeTarts The tree in question was the American plum tree Prunus americana Yes I know what plums look like but seeing plums out of context and in a forest setting took me by surprise Besides the fruit of American plums are smaller in size Also American plum trees though a native tree as its name implies is by no means common or abundant Its official range is throughout most of the eastern half of North America from Saskatchewan east into Maine and south into Arizona and Florida There are some isolated populations of American plum trees found farther west and researchers debate about the native aspects of American plum throughout the continent Researchers are not sure how much Native Americans or settlers moved this fruit around or when A Potentially Fruitful Asset American plum is finding our forest in the northeast less hospitable each year Like most fruit trees American plums aren t very tolerant of shady forests Sure they ll eke out a living for a while under closed canopies but eventually succumb to the lack of light via crown loss or an abundance of nasty branch fungi called black knot American plum apparently grows almost 50 more under full sunlight than under closed canopies Therefore the only places one finds 30 American plum surviving is where light can be accessed roadsides pondedges power lines recently abandoned pastures etc In these locations American plum doesn t really stand out until laden with fruit The leaves are simple and narrow with sharp teeth like many trees leaves Since it s a small growing tree it can be confused with flowering dogwood cherry ornamental apple or even hawthorn thornapple which brings up an interesting point As mentioned earlier my interest in American plum began with its SweeTart flavored similarity However my interest has grown since then for other reasons Similar to seeking out gumball machines
throughout the Catskills is my urge to seek out fruit in the forests Fruit in the forest is becoming rare for two reasons 1 Maturing forests tend to shade out fruit trees shrubs 2 Deer browse The latter deer browse is wreaking havoc on our forested fruit Apple buds for instance are being nailed by hungry deer Even blueberry bushes in some locations are being heavily eaten away while low hanging grapes are just low hanging fruit for deer to exacerbate However while serving a member for the Catskill Forest Association in the Town of Olive Ulster County sometime last May I stumbled upon a potentially fruitful opportunity for Catskills forests Growing near the member s house were two trees I assumed were some kind of ornamental apple they had beautiful white flowers and extremely fragrant flowers that emanated throughout the entire property The member raved about its fruit that he used in making wine He said they were American plum trees After looking at them for a while there seemed to be something different too about this tree Wait a second it had branches growing all the way to the ground You might think this to be no big deal but most trees are missing their lower branches near the ground since deer hammer their buds during winter How was this possible On closer inspection I noticed that American plum trees at least this one was loaded with thorns something barring or at least deterring deer from browsing them to death Under these circumstances American plum may serve as a potentially new opportunity for adding fruit to the forest via its resistance to deer browsing and excellent SweeTart taste It s an extremely cold hardy tree as well that can tolerate both droughty soils and medium wet soils In addition it apparently lends itself well to root suckering or where shoots can grow from roots creating thickets In turn these thickets can offer some sorely needed cover for small mammals and birds since low lying vegetation is becoming scarce for the aforementioned abundance in deer browse and scarcity in sunshine In any case I m going to give American plum a try this spring Perhaps it will lead to more rabbitat nearby and fewer gumball machine visits abroad The fruit is small and purplish red They taste like SweeTarts candy 31
KaatskillLodgings Your Invitation Awaits at the Woodstock Inn on the Millstream by Rebecca Andrea photography by the author The Woodstock Inn on the Millstream is a peaceful oasis just off the beaten path that is Tinker Street in the infamous town of Woodstock The Bed Breakfast is within walking distance of all the attractions and within listening distance of the property s crowned jewel the Millstream 32
Nostalgia resides at the Woodstock Inn Built in the 40 s and becoming a haven for the free spirits and non conformists of the 60 s surely the walls have many stories they could tell There are rumors of Bob Dillion and Jim Morrison spending time at the Millstream Hotel as it was originally named There was even a time when folks could stay on indefinitely without paying in what had become a makeshift commune of sorts The building that now houses the office and larger set of rooms was once a restaurant famous for its pizza Then Thomas Bullard of Woodstock purchased the property in 1993 He had a vision and could see past the neglected buildings the tired shag car opposite page Shared porch of the original hotel right Grounds provide a relaxing oasis below The Millstream in winter 33
pet the lack of a driveway garden or even a lawn Over the years he steadily and lovingly improved on the property became a caretaker of the land and the stream that runs through it As a result the Inn and its surroundings both cultivated and natural have a spiritual aspect that draws new and repeat visitors each year Another inviting aspect of the Inn is the Innkeeper Karen Pignataro Rhode Island born with a graduate degree in art history and a position at the Smithsonian on her resume Karen decided to apply for a temporary job as an innkeeper after returning from Paris and finding employment opportunities in her field scarce That was 23 years ago I slowly but surely fell in love this place and the area So I decided to stay says Karen Living and hiking in the Catskills she found her health improved To me this is not just a job its a lifestyle says the Catskill 3500 member and now interior fire fighter for the Woodstock Volunteer Fire Department Always reachable 34
she lives on the premises and gives her cell number out to guests Accommodations at the Woodstock Inn are rated 1 online No doubt this has to do with the impeccable cleanliness of every room The property has been brought into the 21st century with free WiFi complimentary parking and cell service The larger rooms offer kitchenettes and king beds and luxury baths recently updated with new subway tiles and jacuzzi tubs The original building is host to 10 perfectly cozy rooms Choose from a queen bed or two singles dressed in airy linens each with its own bathroom and the essentials like a coffee maker and television Comfortable seating and work spaces are graced with electric fireplaces in select rooms Also available to rent are three newly renovated cottages Hillcrest Cottage most recently completed has two queen bedrooms each with ensuite bathrooms There is a sunlit great room with furniture made for relaxing in front of the gas fireplace and a large dining table The full kitchen is complete with stainless steel appliances and a breakfast nook The patio back porch and opposite page top Karen Pignataro Innkeeper opposite page bottom Tinker St to Tannery Brook cross the Millstream and you ve arrived top The great room of Hillcrest Cottage flooded with light from vaulted ceilings center Electric fireplace provides extra warmth during the Catskill winters right Pristine vintage tile in select bathrooms 35
den are adorned with clean lines and plentiful seating Outdoors choose to hang on the porches some of which are private or the bluestone patio beside the stream During the summer take a walk among the perennial filled gardens or a refreshing dip in swimming hole open to the Inn s guests supplied with complimentary beach towels Breakfast is served 9 am 11 am each morning buffet style The spread includes bagels and lox fruits cheeses almond butter pastries cereal organic yogurt free range hard boiled eggs and all you can drink coffee and tea Local ingredients are used according to season including Karen s own handmade Mountain Mama Granola In this new era of Air BnB houses for rent which welcomes guests with hit or miss accommodations cold floors and sometimes frozen pipes the Woodstock Inn is proud to stand apart as a full service Bed Breakfast Consistently friendly service along with clean and stylish rooms beckon to tired travelers or families looking to escape We cater to everyone here including AirBnB refugees says Karen with a smile The Woodstock Inn on the Millstream 48 Tannery Brook Road Woodstock NY 12489 800 420 4707 or 845 679 82 Room rates range from 169 00 to 289 00 per night Cottages are 375 00 per night Please visit woodstock inn ny com for detailed room descriptions and reservations 36
opposite page top Kitchen leads to breakfast nook leads to private deck at Hillcrest Cottage opposite page center One of the stream side larger rooms opposite page bottom One of the bright and cozy 1 10 rooms above Summertime at Woodstock Inn right Welcome messege 37
KaatskillDining Cucina a taste of the Old Country in Woodstock by Rebecca Andre photography by the author unless otherwise noted Dining at Cucina is like accepting a personal invitation from Chef Giovanni Gianni Scappin to sit at the family table Walking through the doors of the historic farmhouse one feels cloaked from the tourist laden streets of Woodstock and welcomed to feast on the ultimate comfort food that is authentic Italian Cuisine You may not even realize that your host is a world class chef and an instructor at the esteemed Culinary Institute of America He has cooked for presidents and actors that used to frequent restaurants like Le Madri in New York City where he worked as head chef at the request of Pino Luongo His sous chef there was none other than Anthony Bourdain 38
and Chef Gianni even makes an appearance in Bourdain s book Kitchen Confidential The chef has many stories he could tell of his time spent in the kitchens of the Grand Hotel Excelsior Venice as corporate chef for the international Bice Group as Executive Chef of Castellano and the list goes on Perhaps his best stories originate from his parents kitchen where he grew up cooking alongside both of them under the watchful eye of his cigarsmoking grandmother in the tiny town of Mason Vicentino in Italy s province of Veneto He brought those lessons with him to America just a little over 30 years ago When I came to America I came for fun to visit I was offered a job Castellano in New York City I took it Then I saw this really is the land of opportunity reflects Chef Gianni Having grown up in the land of white wines and Prosecco about an hour and a half outside of Venice it was culture shock for the young immigrant when he arrived in New York City and discovered the poor excuses that were being passed off as Italian food They thought risotto was Uncle Ben s with a lot of cream Nobody knew what tiramisu was They used cream cheese instead of mascar opposite page top Cucina is set in a 19th century renovated farmhouse photo by Francesco Tonelli opposite page bottom Seasonal outdoor porch dining encourages romance photo by Francesco Tonelli above Caprina pizza with a yeast free cracker like crust and a rosemary fig spread with pears arugula Coach Farm goat cheese and a hint of truffle oil right Communal table can seat up to 26 pone There was no brick oven pizza no originality remembers Chef Gianni It was all parmesan and over sauced angel hair He set out to change all that And he did becoming known as the King of Risotto He was sought out by director writer actor Stanley Tucci of 39 the 1996 film Big Night to train him and Tony Shalhoub for their roles as two Italian American brothers trying to save their restaurant The chef and the actor became friends and went on to write The Tucci Cookbook together Chef Gianni also co wrote a book with Joan T Tucci Stanley s
mother titled Cucina Famiglia After 15 years in America home was calling so he returned to Italy with his wife There they re opened the family restaurant with his mother and sister Chef Gianni enjoyed the simplicity and would have been perfectly content to remain but his marriage at the time required him to return to the States after just one year He became a second homeowner in Rhineback prior to 911 Just two months before the attacks Chef Gianni opened a restaurant there Gigi Tratorria named for his father It was an immediate success and a restaurateur was born Over the years to come he would open several restaurants Most recently Cucina Woodstock in 2006 and Market St of Rhineback in 2012 As co owner and the face of both restaurants Chef Gianni has brought an ingenuity to Italian food without sacrificing authenticity Cucina s bright decor of farmhouse furnishings is as fresh as the menu Communal dining or large parties are encouraged at one table that can seat up to 26 people Or choose for a more intimate quietly lit upholstered booth or a fireside table With an extensive wine list hailing from all over the world and Italy of above Linguini with wild caught shrimp sliced garlic a little bit of jalape o warmed cherry tomatoes basil and parsley left Salmon slow baked over a potato pur e shaved Brussels sprouts and black truffle vinaigrette opposite page top Chef Giovanni Gianni Scappin opposite page bottom Salad of baby greens avocado torn mozzarella prosciutto and endive dressed with lemon olive oil 40
course you can also enjoy a local vintage from the Hudson Valley s Millbrook Winery Included are offerings from wineries that practice organic sustainable or biodynamic growing methods Of course the food is the main reason you will want to make a reservation at Cucina Start with a stracciatella soup of chicken broth eggs Parmesan cheese and kale or maybe a pizza of flatbread crust with natural bacon red onion tomato and mozzarella Cipolla Pasta courses include a creamy rigatoni with sausage peas and spicy tomato or a fusilli Bolognese with ricotta and olive oil Risotto course changes daily Choose from main dishes of classic chicken parm pork scaloppini with mushrooms and polenta lamb chops a grass fed ribeye or a slow 41
baked salmon Cucina partners with organic farms and local purveyors like Hudson Valley Cattle Co Sky Farm Coach Farms and Sorbello Green House to name a view in order to offer the best produce meats and cheeses available Chef Gianni likes to give back to the community that has treated him so well over the last decade In January following a showing of Big Night at the community theatre in Woodstock he prepared a scrumptious feast and donated all proceeds back to Upstate Films a non profit member supported arts organization In conclusion a tip from the King of Risotto himself on how to achieve the ultimate creaminess Once the saut ed arborio rice has been brought to a simmer alternate the adding of hot broth and the stirring of the simmering rice No need to stand perched over the stove for an hour stirring 16 minutes its all you need Take it off the heat add butter and cheese and perfetto 109 Mill Hill Rd Woodstock NY 12498 For reservations 845 6799800 Open 7 days for dinner serving brunch Saturday Sunday families welcome Menu price range 8 34 Cucina offers catering for all types of occasions on and off site including weddings on their lawn and private events in the restored barn next door Books co authored by Gianni Scappin Cucina Famiglia 1999 A Tavola 2009 Italian Cooking 2011 The Tucci Cookbook 2012 Pasta 2013 top Marble topped bar joins both dining rooms center Lounge area off the bar above Chef Gianni is co owner of Cucina Woodstock and also Market St in Rhineback 42
20118 REGULAR TRAINS Th hursdays June 7 August 30 One Roundtrip Train to Cooperstown Deeparting From The Milfordd Depot 136 East Main Street NYS Rte 166 Milford NY NY at 10AM Returning to Milford At 1PM Trains Stop At Cooperstow wn Dreams Park at 10 35AM AM returning at 12 35PM COOPER COOPERST RSTOWN SUMMER TRAINS July 7 August 4 and September 1 Boards at Cooperstown Blue Trolley Parking Lot 1PM and 2 30PM COOPERSTOWN BLUES EXPRESS Saturday Nights May 19 October 6 at 7PM 3 Hour Rockin Blues Party every Saturday night featuring some of the best bands in upstate N Y Y Riders can enjoy food and drink Full cash bar with beer and wines BROOKS BBQ DINNER TRAINS August 16 7PM October 13 4 30PM Enjoy Brooks chicken aboard train Other meal choices available FALL L FOLIAGE TRAINS September 29 30 October 7 8 13 14 1PM October 8 Departs 11AM SPECIAL EVENT TRAINS Train Robberies June 30 July 14 28 August 11 25 September 22 October 6 1PM Halloween Costume Party Train October 27 7PM Railfan Day August 4 9AM 4PM Photo Runby Train 1PM Dinosaur Express Train September 15 1PM Pumpkin Patch Train October 20 21 1PM Santa Express November 23 24 25 December 1 2 8 9 15 16 1PM North Pole Express December 1 7 8 14 15 6 30PM Regular Fares Adults 17 00 Seniors 62 and up 16 00 Children 3 12 14 00 Under 3 FREE Reservations Prepayment Are Required On All Special Event Trains EXCEPT Train Robberies Special Event Special Service Trains Priced Higher Than Standard Fare 2I FH HE ZZZ OUKV FRP PDLO ZHQG OUKV FRP
Bite Me Bakery By Rebecca Andre photography by the author Travel Route 28 through Ulster County and you will find numerous storefronts housing all sorts of Catskills treasures Through their doors you ll discover a place to eat a place to shop or a place to gather Bite Me Bakery in Phoenicia Plaza is one such intrepid small business owned by hard working entrepreneur and self dubbed accidental baker Gillian Johnson After finding herself suddenly unemployed when Mama s Boy Market in Phoenicia abruptly closed in November 2015 she used her 20 years in the food industry to birth a dream business First opened in Shokan on April Fool s Day 2016 Bite Me Bakery moved to its new location in August of 2017 Originally I had wanted to open in Phoenicia Plaza to begin with but things didn t work out that way and I took it as a universal sign 44 that the timing wasn t right says Gillian referring to a fire that took place in the plaza at Smokin Boars BBQ February of 2016 So Shokan became host to a tiny
less then 400 square foot bakery Yet every day on her drive from her home in Pine Hill to Shokan Gillian visualized one day opening a store in Phoenicia Plaza I just knew I would one day be here she recalls Two years later though its crew and location have changed the bakery has become a mainstay of locals and visitors alike with cupcakes taking center stage The bakery s square footage more than quadrupled as did the menu Gillian appreciates the creativity that owning her own business affords her but the challenges have proved to be many some that even her marketing degree could not prepare her for including the difficulty of holding on to trustworthy employees The biggest challenge is that this is a seasonal area Winter is good summer is better but there is that inbetween time that you have to figure out says Gillian She adds the competitive nature of the food industry in the Catskills and how she would prefer to raise up and support her fellow restaurateurs when given the opportunity We have to share it make it so everyone can survive this industry it s not an easy thing to do Obvious to those that know her it is work ethic that sets her apart as a opposite page top The bakery s storefront in Phoenicia Plaza opposite page center Newly installed sign in summer of 2017 at Phoenicia Plaza location top Owner Gillian Johnson talking cupcakes with a young customer at the bakery s original location in Shokan Please note this photo has been published previously in 2016 Gillian does not want any recent photos of herself taken center Market with Gillian s line of homemade soaps Sarcastic Suds right Chocolate Peanut butter Raspberry and Lemon Lavender cupcakes 45
successful woman entrepreneur and nothing else I can honestly say that I don t have any challenges directed at me as a woman and that is probably because I refuse to let that even be a thing It comes down to work ethic I sometimes have to work 16 hours a day 7 days a week I don t always want to but I know this is what I want this leads to bigger dreams and goals so I just get up and do it She gets up around 2 am every morning arrives at the store around 5 am and opens at 6 am She is strict about closing time as she has a 15 year old daughter and their time spent around the kitchen table each evening is precious With the move the store grew to include a juice bar kids menu full breakfast menu gluten free and vegan options A list of affordable sandwiches features a breakfast egg sandwich for 3 00 to a lunch of Boars Head Meats in a variety of combinations including a Build Your Own for 6 99 Sweets are still the heart and soul of the bakery Along with the crowd pleasing cupcake flavors of Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup and the Lemon Lavender cupcake the bakery offers up unique creations For example the Esopus Creek cupcake fea top Pay It Forward board center Famous coffee cake heavy on butter and sugar left Cinnamon bun with caramel cream cheese icing paired with Death Wish coffee opposite page top Gill s Favorite sandwich with hot turkey melted Swiss honey mustard and slaw on a toasted onion roll opposite page bottom Some Friday evenings in the summer you can listen to the tunes of local musicians Ben Rounds pictured 46
turing Swedish Fish candy The baker s personal favorite is the Salted Caramel Add to that a cup of strong Death Wish coffee for 2 and let the day begin A Specials Board allows Gillian to spread her culinary wings and create different meals or desserts according to mood There is no guarantee that a special will appear again Her reasons for changing up the menu go a little deep If you come in and ask for the same thing you had last time and I say I don t have it then you are forced to look up from your phone and try something new Not only a place to eat Bite Me Bakery is also a place to shop and to gather Gillian has her own line of soaps called Sarcastic Suds that she sells in the Market section of the store alongside the products of several local artists and producers She also welcomes local solo musicians some Friday nights and hopes to expand her musical offerings in the summer once the deck is in working order Another positive tradition sets her business apart Originating at Mama s Boy the Call Free Board known presently as Pay It Forward allows a customer that has perhaps had a bad day or forgotten their wallet to order for free from the Pay It Forward board Whether it be a sandwich a coffee or a cupcake that was previously paid for by a kind customer Gillian hopes to make a difference in her customers day For Gillian working for herself is not about getting rich I just want to do what I love to do and get paid for it And if she can make someone s day a little sweeter she will Bite Me Bakery 5575 State Route 28 Phoenicia NY 12464 845 688 3397 FB cupcakesNY Hours Mon Tues Thurs Fri 6am 6pm Wed 6am 1pm Sat 7am 6pm Sun 7am 5pm 47
IM A G E S O F T H E N O R T H E R N C AT S K I L L S Fine landscape photography by Francis X Driscoll Tannersville Antiques Artisan Center 6045 Main Street Tannersville for more information 518 589 5600 A new book by Francis X Driscoll The Great Northern Catskills Our Back Yard will be available by the end of 2018 www francisxdriscoll com Phone 518 734 5192
