Phoenicia Library - Open on Sundays

Phoenicia Library will be open on Sundays this summer, starting today, June 29, and running through August 31, from 10 till 3 each Sunday. And just to remind everyone, "second-homers" are welcome to get a library card and take out books, videos, and DVDs.

The Summer Reading Program, open to all, has just started. The program features contests (with prizes), activities and more, with prizes awarded to the person in each age group who reads the most. So take atvantage of this wonderful resource!

See you all at the library!!

Lost and Found - Salad Dressing Decanter

Boy, I think I am posting this message to prove exactly how local this site is. Someone left a lovely salad dressing decanter at the Menla pot luck on June 16th. I have it in my possession and will gladly return it to it's proper owner. Just email me here at wvview@gmail.com and I will get it to you.

Update 06/30/08 - I have found the owner!

Fun Reminder - June 28th

For anyone who is interested remember there will be a book signing today with contributing historians for the book "One Hundred Years On "Resort Ridge" - The Legendary Mountain Hotels of the Northern Catskills" by John M. Ham

The signing will take place
11 to 4 on Saturday, June 28th
at the Empire State Railway Museum in the
Historic Phoenicia RR Station
#70 Lower High Street in Phoenicia

Arts Festival and Studio Tour

The Shandaken Arts Festival and Studio Tour will be happening from July 18th to 20th all throughout Shandaken. There are many fun things to do during this festival. There are many artists opening their studios to the public. Some of them are right here in Woodland Valley. WCA member Wendy Grossman is on the tour. You can view a video with information about the festival on YouTube.
Here is the link:
Shandaken Arts Festival

Or go to:
Shandaken Art
for a list of artists and more information

Blogmistress Note: Sorry to all who read this post before I corrected it. I got my dates all screwed up and thought it was this weekend. Oh well, nobody's perfect! Thanks to Nick Alba for catching my mistake and keeping me on track!

Location of "Gents With Oxen"

We had several great guesses as to the location of the "Gents with Oxen" photo but the only one who got it on the nose (there was another near miss) was Tom Byer. Good call Tom!! He realized that the photo was taken at the start of Woodland Valley Road just past Romer Mt. Park (or "Simpson's" as he called it) and before what was once the site of Lou Hallenbeck's mill. Lou was Tom's grandfather. Tom also said that it might be Lou driving the oxen. Rolf thinks that Tom might be right. Thanks to everyone who participated in this bit of fun with history. Stayed tuned for other historic photos from Rolf's collection. I will put up another one in a few days.

Here's A Hint

For those of you who are trying to figure out the location of the "Gents with Oxen" photo below, Rolf sent this additional photo as a visual aid. It is the same spot in the road minus the people and animals. Now can you guess?

Unidentified Gents With Oxen

This was sent to me by Rolf Reiss from his wonderful, historical, WV photo and postcard collection.

"The first one labeled “Unidentified Gents with Oxen“ came from a collection of Woodland Valley real photo postcards I purchased some years ago. As with a lot of them, a great deal of fun can be had in simply trying to identifying the people in them as well as the location depicted. I kept looking at this photo knowing that I have seen this place before but could not put a name to it. I felt as if my brain was searching though files trying to locate this one and after a short time it did. It might be fun to let people try to see if they can come up the location of this photo (as well as the names of the two gents). Anyone entering Woodland Valley has seen this place before. The stream can be seen on the right and the small outcropping of rocks is still on the left side to this day."
- Rolf Reiss

I will post the location of this photo in a few days to give you time to try and figure out where it is. Anyone who knows who these two gents are or wants to guess the location of the photo can send me an email and I will post it too.

Rolf sent a few more cool images that I will continue to post in the coming days. So check back with us for more historical fun.

Shandaken Summer Rec Program

All you folks in the valley with children (at least 5 years of age and under 14) who want to sign them up for the Shandaken Summer Program don't forget that your applications must be in by July 4th. The program begins on July 8th and will run through August 14th. It will be held Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm at the Pine Hill Lake. They suggest that your camper bring a bagged lunch as well as a towel and sunscreen. There will be bus pick-ups from several areas in Shandaken. You can call Town Hall at (845) 688-7165 for more information. But don't forget to get your application in now. Applications will not be accepted at bus stops. If you want to apply after July 4th call Town Hall at the number above to see if they can accommodate you. All participants must have up to date immunization records to attend.

Fun Reminder - Music Tonight at The Muddy Cup

For those of you who find themselves in Kingston tonight don't forget that Rick Altman and David Oliver are giving a concert at The Chronogram Cafe in The Muddy Cup, 516 Broadway in Kingston. Rick and David are scheduled at go on at 9:00. Admission is free for all. Check my earlier post for additional details.

Book Signing at ESRM

This was sent to us from Dakin Morehouse, WCA member and President of the ESRM.

There will be a book signing with contributing historians for the book "One Hundred Years On "Resort Ridge" - The Legendary Mountain Hotels of the Northern Catskills" by John M. Ham

The signing will take place
11 to 4 on Saturday, June 28th
at the Empire State Railway Museum in the
Historic Phoenicia RR Station
#70 Lower High Street in Phoenicia

Peek-A-Boo Bear

Linda McDonald sent me this photo. She took it through her kitchen window. The bear looks like it is playing peek-a-boo but we all know that dealing with the bears is no game. They seem to be out in force this year. I saw one this morning. He and my cat had a bit of an encounter. I am happy to report that both seemed to have come out of it unscathed. I saw another bear last week running across the road. Be careful with your garbage and bird feeders.

Article in The Phoenicia Times Regarding Appeal

For those of you who are interested, there is an article in this week's Phoenicia Times regarding the appellate court decision. Here is the link.
The Phoenicia Times - Decision Overturned

NYCDEP Geologist Dan Davis Surveys WV Stream

Dan Davis (center in photo) a geologist with NYCDEP and research interns Bobby Taylor (of Phoenicia) and Colin Carey (of Mt. Tremper) were checking out the Woodland Valley creek this past Monday. They will be performing an assessment of the historical and current condition of the Woodland Valley creek and many of its tributaries (like Panther Kill and Dougherty Brook). The work is in support of developing good stream management strategies. Dan will be briefly presenting the purpose of this work at the July 26th WVA annual meeting. Right now they are working with available maps, photos and other data to complete a preliminary assessment of the valley. Starting in early July they intend to walk the stream channels and map features such as erosion, sediment sources, and invasive plant species. They would love to hear from anyone who has photographs or history of the valley especially as it relates to the stream. As part of the project the two research interns wish to interview valley residents about the history of the valley and life along the stream. If you have any information you would like to share you can contact Dan Davis at: 845-340-7839 or by e-mail at ddavis@dep.nyc.gov.

Article in The Freeman Regarding Appeal

There is an article in today's Daily Freeman by Jay Braman Jr. regarding the appeal. Here is the link for those of you who would like to read it.
The Daily Freeman - Water Harvesting

Rick Altman and David Oliver Give Free Concert

An Evening of New Music for Vibes and Marimbas
Inspired by Jazz, Folk, Ska, Afro-Cuban
and many other World Musics.

Saturday, June 21st, 9:00 PM
The Chronogram Cafe at
The Muddy Cup
516 Broadway, Kingston, NY 845 338-3881
www.muddycup.com - www.chronogram.com
Admission Free

WCA/Menla Potluck

A good time was had by all at the WCA/Menla potluck on Monday night. We had a gathering of about 50 people. There was lots of food and lots of fun! Here are a few snapshots from the end of the evening. Thanks to everyone at Menla for being such good hosts!

Lawsuit News!!

I am pleased to announce that I have heard from our lawyers at Hogan & Hartson and we have proven successful in our appeal. The Appellate Division of the State of New York Supreme Court agreed with us that the Town of Shandaken Planning Board overstepped their jurisdiction by attempting to interpret zoning law, something that only the Zoning Board of Appeals is authorized to do. Without a ruling from the ZBA, the planning board had no authority to grant the Good Water Corporation/Andrew Poncic a special use permit. As a consequence, the prior State Supreme Court decision on the article 78 suit has been overturned. The permit is voided and the case will be sent back to the State Supreme Court who, in turn, will send it back to the Planning Board. The Planning Board must then refer the matter to the ZBA for consideration on whether harvesting water for entirely non-potable uses is sufficiently similar to water bottling and related uses to merit a special use permit. If and when that determination is made, the Board will have an opportunity to consider Poncic's application anew. It is important to note that the Appeals Court ruled on only one of our many objections to this plan. When sent back to the Planning Board, all of our issues can be raised again to the board and in future litigation.

Thanks so much to those of us who have fought so long and to all our neighbors who have donated so generously to support this ongoing struggle. We look forward to your continuing support in helping to defend our community character.

I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our lawyers Paul Werner, Gardner Gillespie and their firm Hogan & Hartson for donating their services to the Woodland Community Association pro bono. They have provided us with world class representation that would have been otherwise out of our reach. Also, I would like to thank the other members of the law committee Nat Dershowitz, Jim Frain, Howie McGowan and Brave Emma donated long hours of their time to this cause. Please except my thanks on behalf of the entire Woodland Community Association.

Carol Seitz
President Woodland Valley Association

Fun Reminder - Tonight's Potluck

I am looking forward to seeing you all tonight at the Menla/WCA potluck. It is 6:00 at the Delos Inn. Go straight in the gate and follow the signs to the Delos Inn. There is plenty of parking. If it clears up we will be outside, if not, we will take it inside. It should be a fun evening. See you all there.

Happy Father's Day

Here is a wonderful poem for Father's Day sent to us by Mike O'Neil aka Boreegard. Happy Father's Day to all!!

FATHER’S DAY

Hey nonnie nonnie,
There’s fish in the bay,
It’s Father’s Day,
It’s Father’s Day!

And for the while,
They’ll be scraping and bowing,
Oh hidey-ho,
They’ll be kowtowing.

But comes the morrow,
When Daddy Day’s done,
There’s no more cake,
And no more fun.

Oh, no more fondle,
No more fawn,
It’s “Get out there,
And mow the lawn!”

- Boreegard

Photo Exhibit at the ESRM

This was sent to us by Dakin Morehouse, WCA member and President of the Empire State Railway Museum



















A Photo Exhibit on the Past, Present and Future of our local
Catskill Mountain Railroad
Presented by the
Empire State Railway Museum
Beginning Memorial Day Weekend through October 2008
11:00 to 4:00 Weekends and Holidays
in the
Historic Phoenicia RR Station
Where the Tourist Trains Depart at #70 Lower High Street in Phoenicia
~~~~~
As the Museum is Non-Profit, Your Continues Support is Always Welcome

Menla Pot Luck RSVP

Tomorrow (Friday) is the deadline for letting me know if you are attending the Menla/WCA Pot luck on this Monday June 16th. We provide the dinner the good folks at Menla Retreat and Conference Center will be providing the dessert. The gathering starts at 6:00 pm at the Delos Inn on the property. It is easy to get to, just drive up to Menla and follow the signs to the Delos Inn. The parking is on the side and easily accessable. We will stay outside if it is nice and go inside if it is raining. You can RSVP to me here (wvview@gmail.com) if you are attending. Please do RSVP, I need to let the Menla people know how many to expect.

Photos for the Shandaken Website

Here is a message from the webmaster of the Shandaken website.

"I'm looking for digital photos for the Town of Shandaken website.
Have a favorite place that you love in Shandaken?
Botanical or wildlife photos? Share your images of our town along with place taken (and photo credit if desired).
Thank you."

Please send photos to web@shandaken.us

Geology Walk/Talk - Any Specific Interests?

As you know, Dan Davis, geologist with the NYCDEP, will be giving a talk/walk on the geology of Woodland Valley on August 16th (Raindate August 17th). He asked me to reach out to any possible participants and see if there is anything specific anyone is interested in learning more about. So send me some feedback on your interests and I will pass it along to Dan. You can email me here at wvview@gmail.com. I know there are some folks in the valley that would be interested but because of physical limitations wouldn't be able to walk along the stream so I am working with Dan to try and structure this event so that the beginning could be on easy terrain and attended by all and then we could move into walking the stream for those that fell able. We are still formulating this so any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated. I will keep you posted on the details as we move forward.

Invasive Species

For those gardeners among us, I have found an interesting website on invasive plant species. It has been put together by the invasive plant council of New York. It is a great guide when deciding what to leave on your property and what to remove. Check it out.

Invasive Plant Council of New York

And if you want more information you can go to the NY page in the National Invasive Species Information Center put on the web by the National Department of Agriculture.

National Department of Agriculture - NY

Blogging Class

Most of you have probably already seen the announcement in the letter I sent out to the entire WCA, but I am going to give a blog and internet class on Saturday July 12th at 11:00 am in the Phoenicia Library. First, for those without internet in their home I will briefly demonstrate how to get on the Woodland Valley View site from the library. Then I will show you how I access the WV blog and write posts. I will even show you how to start your own blog if you feel so inclined. I will also try and answer any other internet questions you might have. The class is free. So, for those of you who wonder how the heck I keep this site, this is your chance to find out. You don't have to have a lot of internet or website experience to understand what I will be showing you. It is actually very simple to put things up on a blog. Similar to writing an email. So if you have any interest in blogging or if you have any questions about the internet in general please come and join me. See you there!

Dershowitz Annual Summer Party

The Dershowitz family wanted me to let you know that their annual summer party will be on August 2nd this year. All of the Woodland Community Association members are invited. It is a pool party - 1 PM till whenever. All goodies including drinks and vegetarian dishes (egg and cheese) welcome, but no meat dishes. I am not going to put their address here on the blog. Most of you know where it is from previous parties, but we will be sending a separate email with those details to the WCA mailing list. If you are a WCA member and not on our email list just write me here at wvview@gmail.com and I will send you the details. And please be sure to spread the word to the other WCA members that do not have email or internet access. I will remind you all again as the date gets closer. It is always a great time and I hope to see you all there!!

Pantherkill Meteor Crater

Here is another great bunch of facts from our Pantherkill reporter Dennis Havel. Very cool stuff!!

The Pantherkill Report

Panther Mountain is the impact site of a meteorite that hit 350 million years ago. It is outlined by the Esopus Creek and Woodland Valley Stream, which form an almost perfect circle around Panther Mountain.



Several years ago, when I was looking for property upon which to build my home, I decided Panther Mountain was a good bet because what are the chances of a meteor hitting it again? So, that's one less thing I have to worry about.

At one time Dome Oil Company had drilled a well into Panther Mountain and for a time was producing 50,000 cubic feet of gas a day. However, don't get excited. That's a little more than would be produced with a sausage and broccoli lunch.

A jet airplane crashed on Panther Mountain in 1957 and the wreckage can still be seen. No word on any survivors or if there were, did they get their luggage?

Due to eons of geologic forces that resulted in the meteor crater being formed into a mountain, there is a gravity anomaly at the summit of Panther Mountain. Schlep your bathroom scale up to the top and get a pleasant surprise. You'll find that you weigh about 1/10,000 of on ounce less. Good news for dieters, indeed!

- Dennis Havel

Blogmistress Note - There are hot links all through this post. If you would like to learn more about these facts just click on these links and you can go to other interesting related websites.

And here is one more site that someone just sent me on the same subject.
The Panther Mountain Crater

Thanks for sending us the great information Dennis!!!