Just Started to Rain Here

It has just started to rain here in Woodland Valley. The National Weather Service flood watch is in effect through Saturday morning. There is also a wind advisory in effect. Those of you who are planning to come up from the city for the weekend should know that the heaviest rain is supposed to occur Friday evening. Please be careful if you are planning to drive.

Flood Watch Issued For Western Ulster County

Here is the weather alert that was just sent out by the National Weather Service. Looks like we might be in for another bad storm! I will keep you all posted.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY HAS ISSUED A FLOOD WATCH FOR A PORTION OF EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK...INCLUDING WESTERN ULSTER COUNTY.

* FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING

* A COMPLEX STORM IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE MID ATLANTIC REGION THURSDAY... MOVE OFF THE EAST COAST... AND INTENSIFY AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST TO THE EASTERN NEW ENGLAND COAST FRIDAY MORNING. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BRING HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS TO THE REGION AS WELL AS SOME SNOW TO ELEVATIONS ABOVE 2000 FEET.

* A WIDESPREAD RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES IS EXPECTED IN THE FLOOD WATCH AREA WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS UP TO 6 INCHES. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2.5 TO 3.5 INCHES IN A 12 HOUR PERIOD WOULD BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE FLOODING. IN ADDITION... MANY AREAS HAVE ONLY RECENTLY HAD WATER LEVELS RECEDE SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE HEAVY RAINFALL AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH... AND MANY RESERVOIRS REMAIN HIGH WITH LITTLE STORAGE CAPACITY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.

Crummy Culvert Contest

The Ashokan Watershed Stream Management is having a "Crummy Culvert Contest" to help them locate all the culverts within the watershed that wash out in the reoccurring floods. Here are the details.

Culvert Washed Out?
Enter the Crummy Creekside Culvert Contest

If your driveway culvert is washed out, you know that floods are no fun.
Help us find the culverts that need consistent replacement in the Ashokan Watershed. (The culvert has to be in the Ashokan Watershed).
You could also win a chance for an extreme culvert makeover or a pocket video camera or at least a "Crummy" T-Shirt.

Click here to get details on how to enter.

The goal of the 2010 Crummy Creekside Culvert Contest is to identify the streamside culverts in the Ashokan Watershed that are:

Causing significant erosion above or below the culvert - particularly if the eroded soil is being carried directly into a stream.

A barrier to fish or other aquatic animals trying to travel along a stream or from one stream into another.

Enter your crummy culvert now!

Lord's Lumberyard Photo

After posting the WV history from Linda McDonald recently, a couple of other folks sent me some more interesting information. Here is a message from Dakin Morehouse.

"This pic is from Lonnie Gale's collection and is marked on the back "Lord's lumberyard - 'Brookside'" which was right here in our Woodland Valley (just before the Tonisgah bridge on the right side of WV road).

Once he had a couple shots of rum under his own belt, Paul Miller, Roxmor caretaker before me, son of the founder and long time Woodland Valley Post Master used to enjoy relating recollections of his life in the Valley to anyone who would listen.  And his stories fascinated me.

One can easily imagine how this one about one of Lord family named Loami (I am not sure of the spelling) might well have made an impression on his youthful mind. 

Seems Loami used to walk back up the valley after an evening's binging in the village quite boisterously breaking the silence in the wee hours of the morning declaring repeatedly - "Lo am I .. the Lord?   I am Loami - Lord!   Lo am I not, the Lord?"

- Dakin

Thanks for sharing this photo and funny story with us Dakin!

More About Flood Insurance

Yesterday I posted the message I had been sent from Cornell Cooperative about filing a flood damage report. In the text of the message they directed anyone who needed flood insurance to a website. WV resident Jeff Schwartz emailed me with some concerns about the link. Here is what he had to say.


"Just to let you know that the link that you have to Floodsmart is a web site for an independent insurance agent.

If you have had experience with them and are recommending them, that is OK.

However be advised that any insurance Agent/Broker can sell flood insurance if they are so certified. FEMA's Agent Directory http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pages/choose_your_policy/agent_locator.jsp

What I see as a marketing ploy by this agency is that they

1. State on the top of their that they are "The National Flood Agency" and display an American flag to give the impression that they are somehow related to the Govt program, they are only an agent.

2. They took the name and locked in the web site address of Floodsmart.COM to mimic FEMA's Flood insurance's AGENTS web site Floodsmart.GOV https://agents.floodsmart.gov/manageagent/pages/agent/index.jsp


As a side note you can get the FEMA Flood map of your area by street address on the web. http://msc.fema.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/FemaWelcomeView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1

Stay Dry in the Valley"

Jeff

I think Jeff is totally right and the website that CC meant to direct folks to is http://www.floodsmart.gov. So you can go to the official FEMA website and find an agent there. Sorry for the confusion, I just posted the information that was sent to me. I have corrected the original post.

Carol

Flood Damage and Assessement Form

I got this message from the Cornell Cooperative Extension and wanted to pass it along to everyone in the Woodland Community Association.

Did you have flood damage to your property on Oct. 1st?
Please fill out a Damage Assessment Form

Landowners and business owners:

If you own a business or a primary residency in Ulster or County that had any kind of structural damage in the flood on Oct. 1, 2010, it is urgent that you print and fill out a FEMA Residential and Business Damage Assessment Form and send it to your Town Code Enforcement Officer. Click Here for the form. Please share this form with other people who may have incurred damages from the flood. The town and county need to document the amount of property damage that has occurred in order to establish the need for FEMA public assistance funds. Public assistance is triggered if $600,000 or more in damages is documented for Ulster County in addition to $25 million in damages statewide.

Filling in the form is no guarantee of public assistance, but it may help to get a disaster declaration for our area so that funding can be released.
Can't open the form? Click here to download Adobe Reader.

Do you need flood insurance? If you noticed flood waters came close to your home and you don't have flood insurance, you should consider obtaining flood insurance.
Go to floodsmart.gov for more information.

For more information, see the attached letter or contact your local code enforcement officer.

Contact information for Code Enforcement Officers in Shandaken is below:

Town of Shandaken: Gina Reilly
Town of Shandaken
P.O. Box 134
Allaben, NY 12480
Phone: (845) 688-5008
Fax: (845) 688-2041
zeoshandaken@yahoo.com

Guys & Dolls At STS This Weekend

This Friday and Saturday night STS will be giving a performance of Guys and Dolls to benefit it's 'Raise the Roof' fund. The show stars “Uncle Rock” - Robert Warren, Phoenicia Festival of the Voice' performer, Woodland Valley's own Jay Brammen Jr. and Chuck Sokolowski, Former Broadway and regional theatre star Ann Davies, fresh from her critical success in Closer Than Ever – Amy Wallace, mother and daughter Katie and Lucia Legnini and husband and wife theatre veterans Jessica and Brian Sherman. The evening’s narrator and color commentator is Phoenicia’s own Dave Pillard owner of The Tender Land Home store on Main Street Phoenicia. Musical Director is Maria Todoro. Here are the details.

Guys and Dolls
STS Playhouse
Friday October 8 and Saturday October 9
7:00 pm
Tickets are $25.00 and include snacks and desserts
There will be a cash bar and raffle tickets will be sold for the 30 gift certificates available each night.

The STS Playhouse in Phoenicia needs a new roof.  The stage floor has holes in it, the windows need to be replaced, they need new curtains and there are many other repairs needed at the 123 year old space.  But how will they raise the money during a difficult economic time? This theatre has a twist on an old idea.
 
During intermission the theatre will be raffling gift certificates but this raffle is different.  “We know that area merchants are always asked to donate free things to many good causes.  What we wanted to do was stimulate business and help the merchants by asking for vouchers for a percentage off or money towards a larger purchase.  So far we have had a great response,”   says producer of the benefit, Michael Mills.  “We are calling it the Economic Stimulus Raffle and so far 30 local businesses including Woodstock Meats, The Emerson, Sweet Sue’s. The Phoenicia Belle and Oriel 9 have donated vouchers for each evening’s performance.”
 
“I’m in favor of helping a local non-profit organization keep a roof over its head.   The STS Playhouse and the other cultural things help make the town more vital.  This idea could be good for Phoenicia ” adds Tom Fraser who has donated 2 vouchers good for a free night stay with a paid night at the Phoenicia Belle B&B on Main Street Phoenicia.
 
In a show of bi-partisan support area politicians will act as raffle “officials” each night. On Friday evening Republican Shandaken Town Supervisor Rob Stanley will pull the winning numbers and on Saturday Ulster County Comptroller Elliott Auerbach, will do the honors.
 
“I like to support local causes and because we are a new business this idea may introduce us to new customers,” says Erica Makulich, chef and co-owner Yum-Yum Noodleshop a new restaurant and take-out in Woodstock.  They have donated two, 2 for 1 vouchers for dinner. 
 
You can reach the playhouse on the Web at STSPlayhouse.com or on Facebook at STS Playhouse Phoenicia.  On those sites you can find out about the theatre, donate to the “Raise The Roof” fund, buy tickets to the benefit or volunteer your time. They can also be reached at 845-688-2279
 

More Rain But No Flooding

For everyone who is down in the city and hearing that it has been raining for the last several days let me put your mind at ease. Although we have indeed been seeing additional bad weather, the amount of rain has been nothing like what we saw last week when town flooded. So all is wet but well here in Woodland Valley.

Workshop with Alexander Mallon

Woodland Community Association member Alexander Mallon will be giving a workshop this coming Saturday at Mirabai in Woodstock. Here are the details for anyone who is interested.

Alexander Mallon
at Mirabai Books of Woodstock
October 9th, 2010
2-4 pm
$15 pre-registered by Oct.7th, $20 after

The Rising Sign & Personal Identity a workshop with Professional Astrologer/Intuitive Alexander Mallon

The Ascendant or Rising sign of one's birthchart is represented by the sign of the zodiac on the horizon at birth. This Ascendant sign serves as a symbol of your identity. It reveals how you present yourself to the world, how others see and experience you - your personality.

In this workshop you will learn the meaning of your Ascendant sign, and you will also discover what and how that sign's ruling planet acts as a cornerstone for your life unfoldment. This ruling planet shows you both what you must process on a Karmic level, and what you desire to liberate about yourself in this lifetime!

Alexander will provide a computer drawn astrological chart to those who pre-register and provide birth date/time/place of birth at least 48 hrs in advance.

To registar, please phone Mirabai Books of Woodstock at 845-679-2100 AND email Alexander at astroskywatcher@yahoo.com

Missing Adirondack Chair

An Adirondack chair that belonged to Tammy and Richard Feuer washed down the stream in the flood last week. While it probably is in pieces along the bank somewhere, I thought it might be worth a try to see if it had washed up in anyone's backyard. So if you have an Adirondack chair that mysteriously appeared on your property email me at wvview@gmail.com. I will pass the message on to the Feuer's and I am sure they will come and retrieve it asap.