Traveling On The Thruway

A lot of people have to travel this evening to get home from their extended Thanksgiving weekend. So I thought I would take this opportunity to remind everyone that their are travel cams at all the exits along the NYS Thruway. Whether you are coming from or going to the Catskills at this point, these can be helpful to assist in assessing the traffic situation before you leave. So bookmark this link and check it out before you travel. Although we are 30 minutes from the Kingston toll booths and things can change fast this could possibly give you some idea of what to expect. Check it out.

http://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/map/index.html?layer=cameras

Thanksgiving Weather

Since Thanksgiving and the days before it are busy work days for me, I haven't had a chance to post. So I am doing a bit of catch up today. I posted two other things besides this note so be sure to scroll down if you want to catch up too. I wanted to finish my posting for the day with an update on the weather in the valley. Since I was not here for the storm on Wednesday I couldn't give you all an update. But now that I am back in the valley here is my weather report.

I would say that we got about 7-8 inches from this storm, but it has compacted a bit by now. The snow has stuck around this time because the temperatures have stayed low. By my thermometer it was in the teens last night. There are some very icy patches on walkways and driveways so do watch your step. The roads are clear and so there is no problem getting to town and back. All in all, I don't think it was a bad storm. It is just on the early side for this much accumulation. But I guess I have to face the fact that winter is settling in for a long stay. Ugh! Why does summer seem like it goes so quickly and winter just seems to start early and last forever? Oh well, at least it is still beautiful here in the valley no matter the season!

Library Moves Back Home

The Phoenicia Library is finally finished. I recently received this email from the library staff regarding the plans for moving from the temporary space on Ava Maria Drive to it's home on Main Street. Here is what they had to say.


3 + Years Later, We Are Going Back to Main Street!!

Phoenicia Library Will Be CLOSED
Starting December 4th

To Pack, Move, and Set-Up our New Library

MOVE TIME LINE

Wednesday, Dec. 3rd: LAST DAY at Ava Maria Library for library and computer use. No check-outs after this day until we reopen in January. See below for your options to get a hold.

Starting Around Dec. 11th: Computer/Internet “Café” at 9 Ava Maria location: Volunteers will open the building for public use of computers and internet. Days and times will be posted in advance and won’t follow our usual hours.

Friday, January 2nd, 2015: New Year, New Library! The Phoenicia Library re-opens at 48 Main Street, all our usual library and computer services start again.

Saturday, Jan. 17th 11-3: Please join us at our Grand Opening Party with refreshments and entertainment.


Frequently Asked Questions:

What will you be doing when the library is closed?

There is much to be done to make our new, beautiful building at Main Street into a library. The staff will be working full time to pack, unpack, and train. Thank you for bearing with us and know that we are working to get your library up and running as soon as possible.

What services will be available during the closure?
Phoenicia Library will not be operating as a library until January 2nd.
However, starting about the 2nd week of December, there will be limited hours at Ava Maria for use of our computers and internet. Hours will be posted in advance at both libraries, and on our webpage.

Where do I get my books during the closure?
Once we close: if you wish to obtain a book during this time, please have it sent to another library that is convenient to you, such as Olive or Pine Hill libraries, for pickup. When you place a hold online, you may choose a library other than Phoenicia for pick up location. That library will contact you to let you know the hold is there. Otherwise, all books that are coming from other libraries will be available for pickup once we open at Main Street in January.

Where do I return my books?
You can return them into our drop box at either location, and volunteers will drop them off at another library periodically. Or, you can bring them to another library, especially if time is a concern.

What if I need to contact the library while you are closed?
Our phones will be down for a short while during the move, but you can call if it is urgent at 688-7811. Please be patient as we attempt to get back to you. You can always call another library if you need help getting a specific item delivered to another library while we are closed.


Thank you for all your help since the fire. Thanks to you we are almost home!

Rick Altman Trio at Harmony

Great Jazz in Woodstock 

The Rick Altman Trio

with

Lew Scott, bass & Jody Sumber, drums

with special guest, guitarist Mike DeMicco

An evening of jazz classics and original compositions

with vibes, bass, and drums

Sunday, November 30, 2014

8:00 to 11 p.m.

*Donation*

Harmony

52 Mill Hill Rd. Woodstock, NY  (845) 679-7760

more info: www.rickaltman.com

2015 Town Budget

The 2015 Shandaken town budget is available for all residents to view online at the link below. It has comparisons to last years budget to put everything in perspective. Since we all finance this budget it is good to take a look and see where your tax dollars are being spent.

http://www.shandaken.us/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/2015-14-Town-of-Shandaken-FINAL-Budget-Comparison-11-6-14.pdf

Boreegard Sports The Colors In Style

WCA member and acting secretary, Mike O'Neil (aka Boreegard), supported the team of his alma mater, Princeton, by wearing the colors (orange and black) to a recent game against Yale. Of course Bo wore them in his own style (see photos below). The Princeton Tigers lost the game but reportedly a good time was had by all!

Below is the message Bo sent to me with the photos. BTW, "She who must be obeyed" is Bo's lovely wife, Jeanne. He sent me this last weekend and I am a bit late posting but, despite the delay, Bo still cuts a dashing figure that I thought you might all enjoy see the photos to prove it!!


"Below, a message from She Who Must Be Obeyed.  The game was yesterday at a frigid Yale Bowl, and the Bullpups whupped the Tigers pretty good (44 to 30), but I got a chance to show the colors, much to the astonishment of the assembled. 

In case you thought those were polkadots on my sports jacket, here's a closer look.  A tiger, gripping a stein of beer behind the eightball.  In this case, it's the square root of 64 ('64 being my class)."
- Bo

Turkey Trot Reminder

This is just to remind everyone that the 4th annual Turkey Trot is coming up on Saturday, November 29th. Registration and check-in are from 8:00am to 9:45am at Parish Field in Phoenicia. The race starts at 10am. You can get registration forms at Mama's Boy Market or Tenderland Home. You can also go to www.phoeniciaturkeytrot.com for general information. This year's race will be to benefit the STS Playhouse in Phoenicia. So get out there and run off some of those extra calories you will be consuming over  Thanksgiving. You will get some exercise and help a good cause too!! Sounds like a great time to me!!!

ZBA Seeking A Board Member

Town of Shandaken Zoning Board of Appeals seeking a Board Member. This position is a volunteer, non-compensatory membership with a term of five (5) years and requires residency within the Town of Shandaken. Resume & letter of intent may be sumitted to Shandaken Building – Zoning Dept., via email at shandakenbldg@gmail.com or sent to PO Box 134 Shandaken NY 12480 or dropped off at Town Hall, 7209 Rt. 28 Shandaken NY 12480. Call 845-688-5008 for more info.

Joyce Grant
Town Clerk - Tax Collector - RMO
PO Box 67 - Shandaken NY 12480
845-688-5004
Fax: 845 688-2041
http://www.shandaken.us

Flirting With Winter

Although I have been avoiding it, I guess it is time that I start blogging regularly about the weather in the valley. The last 4 or 5 days have been a mix of temperatures and precipitation. We saw about 2-3 inches (less as you got down closer to town) of snow overnight last Thursday. It stayed cold for several days with intermittent light flurries over the weekend. After that, the temperatures warmed up and we had a lot of rain yesterday. Overnight the temperatures started to inch downward again and the forecast says that it will get down into the teens tonight……..brrrr. We might get a few warmer (into the 50's) days over the weekend but my winter coat is out of the closet and I fear it might be out to stay.

Rabies And Distemper Clinic This Saturday

There will be a low cost rabies and distemper clinic in the Shandaken Town Hall this Saturday, November 15th from 10am to Noon.

They will vaccinate both dogs and cats. Rabies vaccines are $10.00 each and distemper vaccines are $15.00 each. CASH ONLY!

You can also get your dog licensed at the same time. No appointment is necessary. PLEASE KEEP DOGS ON LEAD AND CATS IN CRATES. Bring any recent vaccine records. For more info call the Town Clerk at 688-5004.

Regular Hunting Season Begins Saturday

Don't forget that the regular hunting season begins this Saturday, November 15th 2014. And remember, if you are going out in the woods to hike, wear bright orange to enhance your visibility. And it is a good idea to tie something orange (maybe a nice bandana) on your dog too.

If you need further information about the hunting licenses, regulations, lands open to the public or anything else you can go to:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/hunting.html

There is also a great PDF graphic of the different phases of the season and zoning:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/huntingseasons14.pdf

Happy Ending To This Dog Tale

Back at the end of September I posted about a sweet Saint Bernard that was found in Shandaken and taken in by SAVE (Shandaken Animal Volunteer Effort). She was a young dog but had been in the woods quite a while and was in really bad shape. She was malnourished, dehydrated, and had severe case of scabies. She had given birth to puppies but they were not with her. They named her Angel.

Here is a link to my original post. She is heartbreaking to look at in those photos.
http://woodlandvalleyview.blogspot.com/search?q=Angel

Through the efforts of SAVE and others that donated to her vet care she made a wonderful recovery and was recently placed in her forever home. Wonderfully, she found a family with 2 other Saint Bernards! One is also young (between 1 and 2) so she has someone to play with right at home. The other is an older dog who likes her too. So they are just one big happy family.

Here is a photo of her with her new chums. Angel is the dog sitting up on the right hand side of the photo. Doesn't she look great! I love a happy ending!

PS - If you are thinking of getting a dog or cat remember that there are so many wonderful pets in need in our local shelters. So adopt instead of buying!

Edible Art - It's A Piece Of Cake

I went on to Facebook this Halloween and saw the first two photos below. What a fabulous cake! I was amazed at the intricate detail and fantastic artistry of the whole scene. And I come to find out it was made by a talented young resident of Woodland Valley, Camilla Ffrench! Unbelievable, since Camilla is only 12 years old!! Her mom, Rebecca, sent me some other photos of imaginative confections she has made in the past. I think they are all super terrific. Camilla could have a bright future as a chef/cake maker if she chooses to pursue it. Gorgeous work Camilla!!

Vote Today!!!

Please make your voices heard today and get out and vote. This midterm election is an important one. So it is vital that everyone casts their vote.

The voting place for Woodland Valley is the Phoenicia Fire House on Rt 214. The polls are open from 6am to 9pm. Below are some useful links to find more voter information and see a sample ballot.

I like to look at the sample ballot beforehand so I don't' have to stand in the voting booth and try and read the amendment questions while everyone is waiting for me to finish. It makes it much easier and less stressful. So please take a few minutes and look at the ballot so you are prepared when you visit the polls later.

I am also posting the Ulster County Board of Elections website link. It is a great place to get local election results quickly. 

See you all at the polls!

Shandaken website page with polling places and link to sample ballot:

http://www.shandaken.us/news/election-day-info/

Direct link to sample ballot:

http://vic.ntsdata.com/ulsterboe/dispballotstyle.aspx?strkey=5N0KJSG1

Ulster County Board of Elections:

http://ulstercountyny.gov/elections/

"Hey Doreen" Music Video

The Brooklyn indie-pop band Lucius has made a new music video in our area. Essentially it is two older gals on a murderous rampage. The Phoenicia Diner is featured prominently. Watch out all you local guys, these two mean business……LOL!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzo7SNVB_rI&feature=youtu.be

First Hard Frost

It looks like winter is on it's way into Woodland Valley. The temperatures have gone down into the 20's overnight and are staying chilly during the day. It is always the impatiens on my porch that tell me when the first hard frost has happened. One day the plants are fine, the next day they are totally dead. That happened this week. Although this is one of the latest dates for a hard frost that I can remember, the cold weather seems to be moving in quickly. So it is time for stacking the woodpile and gearing up for the frosty weather to come. Let's hope this winter will be a mild one.