Mama's Boy Closing

Mama's Boy Market in Phoenicia is closing and selling everything off the shelves. This is a post that was on Facebook earlier today. We will miss Mama's Boy!!

CLOSING SALE! 50% off everything on our shelves today and tomorrow. Except for our coffee beans. Plus practically EVERYTHING else is for sale coffee equipment, convection oven, refridgeration and freezers, picnic tables, chairs, tables, display items and much much more. STOP IN, SAY GOODBYE AND TAKE A PIECE OF MAMA'S BOY HOME WITH YOU!

Regular Hunting Season Is Open

This is a brief reminder that regular hunting season opened this Saturday November 21st and runs through December 13th. Late bow season then goes from December 14th to December 22nd. Here is a link to the DEC website so you check out all the dates for yourselves.

Remember to WEAR ORANGE if you are going into the woods at this time of year! Stay safe!

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28605.html

Easy Cheesy 'Taters

Right about now you may all be looking for new ideas for Thanksgiving side dishes. Here is one from WCA member Mike O'Neil (aka Boreegard).

Bo’s Easy Cheesy ‘Tater Casserole


2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced.
4 tbsp. flour, 2 tbsp. dried parsley, 1 tbsp. minced garlic mixed together.
1 cup half and half, heated.
¾ cup panco bread crumbs mixed with 2 heaping tbsp. melted butter.
¾ cup grated cheddar cheese.

TO DO

Grease a 2 quart casserole pan.
Boil potatoes in salted water until barely soft—around 10 minutes.
Drain quickly and place potatoes in pan.
Spread flour/ herb mixture on potatoes and mix well.
Pour heated half and half on potatoes and mix well.
Cover with buttered breadcrumbs.
Sprinkle cheese on top evenly.
Bake in preheated 375 degree oven until browned on top (20 to 30 minutes).


Will feed up to six hungry people nicely.

Testament:  She Who Must Be Obeyed raved over it.  So might you too, bunky.


Boreegard
November, 2015

Possible Solution To Bee And Hornet Problems

After posting Boreegard's poetry about the hornets invading his house yesterday I thought of something one of my friends posted on Facebook a few months back. He had a novel solution to the problem. Those of you with the same issue might want give it a try, it certainly couldn't hurt. Read on.

"I saw this on fb a few months ago. If you put a small paper bag filled with paper hung on your porch it will mimic a hornets nest. It will keep other hornets and carpenter bees from eating in the area. It freaking works. In the spring and every year prior we had tons of carpenter bees drilling holes on the porch. This year they started to, then after we put up the bags, nothing.!!! Amazing natural way to keep them away."
- Jerry

Boreegard Ruminates On Mother Nature

         Attack of the Yellow Hornets
                (Der Nacht Flieger)

Though our storm windows are guaranteed to be
Impenetrable to outside influences,
A nightly visitation of European hornets
Began making its way into my bedroom last week.

Larger than their white-faced American cousins,
The yellow and black striped species
Will often build nests in unprotected spaces,
Between the walls of a house.

Spraying the window crevices with toxic poisons
Did no good, except to make ME queasy.
The winged terrors continued their nightly trespass
Into my sanctum sanctorum.

It was unnerving to hear them droning
Overhead after the lights were out,
And I had settled down for beddy-bye.
Nightmares overtook sweet dreams.

Though I have no quarrel with them personally,
The thought of being stung appalls me.*
As a matter of self-protection, I took to killing them
With a battery-powered electric zapper, shaped like a tennis racket.

The zapper emitted crackling sparks when pressed firmly
Against the intruders, and when held long enough,
Satisfying wisps of blue smoke would waft into the air.
Amazingly even that did not always do the job.

To achieve a bona fide death, I’d wrap the smoldering,
Twitching body into a folded paper towel
And carefully squeeze.
Best not to pinch the thorax or tail.

Mother Nature finally put an end to all this.
She delivered her first killing frost.
Besides withering the tomato stalks and basil to a pathetic heap,
It was the hornets’ death knell.  All hail our true Mother!

Boreegard  
aka Mike O'Neil
November, 2015

 * The pain from the sting may persist for several days with attendant swelling.  Victims may wish to seek medical attention in case of allergic reaction. In rare cases death can occur.   

Paul Misko At Trout Unlimited Meeting

I got this message in a Trout Unlimited newsletter the other day. I thought I would pass it on for any of you who are interested. 

This is a reminder that the November 18th meeting of the Ashokan-Pepacton Watershed Chapter this is coming Wednesday at the Boiceville Inn on NY 28 in Boiceville. It’s one week earlier than normal, due to Thanksgiving which is the following week.

The business meeting starts at 7 PM followed by our program at 7:45 PM. Once again this month we have another top notch event. Paul Misko, the Woodland Valley Park Association historian, is our guest speaker. Paul’s program will touch upon the history and tanning industry of Woodland Valley, formerly known as Snyder Hollow. The Winter 2013 Kaatskill Life issue ran an article penned by Paul on this very topic, titled: “The Woodland Valley Forest: An Environmental Disaster with a Happy Ending.”

Paul has visited Woodland Valley since childhood where he caught his first trout at the age of 5. Since then he’s accumulated a serious pile of history about Woodland Valley and the surrounding area, and over the last several years has written articles and given talks on Catskill and American history. In 2009 he founded the Catskill 4000 Club, which often does history related hikes. Most recently he has been doing radio shows, including trivia quizzes on Catskill topics.

Hope to see you there; below is a photo of the Woodland Valley as seen from Giant Ledge. Don’t miss what promises to be an interesting program about Catskill history, its forestry, and old Snyder Hollow.


- Ed Ostapczuk

Planning Board Seeks New Member

The Shandaken Planning Board needs a new member. If anyone in Woodland Valley is interested here is the official announcement.

Shandaken Planning Board is currently seeking a Planning Board Member. This position is a volunteer, non-compensatory membership with a term of seven (7) years and requires residency within the Town of Shandaken. Resume and letter of intent may be submitted to the attention of: Building Dept., via e-mail at shandakenbldg@gmail.com or sent to: P.O. Box 134, Shandaken, N.Y. 12480, postmarked no later than November 25, 2015; This may also be dropped off at the Shandaken Town Hall, 7209 Route 28, Shandaken. Prospective applicants should plan on attending the Planning Board Workshop meeting on Wednesday, January 13, 2015 at 7:00 PM.

And The Winners Are…...

I know it is a week later and most of you have probably already heard, but for those of you who are out of town, the winners of the town elections are as follows:

Supervisor - Robert A. Stanley
Town Clerk - Joyce A. Grant
Supervisor of Highways - Eric Hofmeister
Town Board - Gael Alba and Peter DiSclafani
Town Assessor - Dave Channon and Fionna Tanzillo

Vote Today!

This is to remind everyone to go to the polls today and cast your ballot. There are a lot of important local town positions that are being decided.

The polling place for Woodland Valley is the M.F. Whitney Firehouse in Phoenicia. Please vote and make your voices heard!!

Another Great Halloween Parade

The Phoenicia Halloween parade was great fun this year. As always, the folks of this town were wildly creative with their costumes. My personal favorite was the little girl who came dressed as a Hindu Goddess. Awesome!! Thing 1 and Thing 2 were pretty great as well. For those of you who could not be there here are some fun photos.