Power & Phone Outage in The Valley

There was a sustained power outage in the valley last night for about 5 hours. The lights went on and off about 5 times before going out completely from about 7:30pm to about 12:45am. We lost land line phone service at about 9pm as well. The phone returned with the power. I do not know the cause of the interruption. The power and phone have stayed on without interruption once the service was returned.

Quiet In The Valley

All is well here in Woodland Valley. The weather has been on the cold side. There are still no leaves on the trees. We have had a LOT of rainy days but today was beautiful. The daffodils, hyacinth and forsythia are all blooming on different properties along the road. And the wild Colt's Foot (see photo) is coming up everywhere. I am hoping the really nice weather is just around the corner.

To keep you updated on the state of the virus in this part of upstate NY, the Ulster County Covid-19 totals stand at 1294 confirmed cases with 24 fatalities. There are 7 confirmed cases in the Town of Shandaken. So cases continue to slowly rise.

Since we are all staying home and social distancing there is not much more to report. I hope wherever you and your family are you are all in good health. Stay safe!

Friday Update

I hope you are all staying home and keeping healthy. As of this writing there are 880 cases of CO-VID 19 and 16 fatalities in Ulster County. The Town of Shandaken has 6 confirmed cases.

Starting today 4/17/20, the NY Governor's executive order requires all citizens to wear face masks, cloth, scarf or bandana to cover their nose and mouth when in public and not able to keep a six foot distance from others. If you need a mask they are available at the Shandaken Town Hall for free. Just call the Town Clerk for information 845-688-5004.

Free mental health services are available through the Family of Woodstock 845-679-2485.

The Town is providing meal and/or grocery deliveries to those in the high risk demographic. For more information call the Town Clerk at 845-688-5004 or email townclerk@shandaken.us or the Town Supervisor at 845-688-7165 or email supervisor@shandaken.us.

Most restaurants in the area are offering take-out service and Phoenicia Supermarket is offering free delivery 845-688-2448.

And for those who are fine with food but just bored out of your mind, the Methodist Church has donated puzzles and books for people to take for free. They are on the porch of the Nest Egg. Take one if you want or leave one if you have something you are finished using.

Stay Safe!!

Some Good News in Woodland Valley

I hope you are all well. Since we are all dealing with the ongoing pandemic and the stresses around work and health related concerns, I thought some good news was in order.

First, congratulations to our esteemed President Bethany Saltman who's book "Strange Situation: A Mother's Journey Into The Science of Attachment" made The Washington Post's 10 books to read in April list. Here is a link to The Washington Post for those of you who subscribe and can read it. Go Bethany!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/ten-books-to-read-in-april/2020/03/31/b7b0a744-737e-11ea-a9bd-9f8b593300d0_story.html

Secondly, WV resident Bonnie LeFave sent me these photos of a pair of eagles that she recently saw down by the intersection of Pantherkill and Woodland Valley roads. These are such beautiful birds! I think the one on the right is a juvenile (see if you other birders agree). We are so lucky to have these majestic creatures in our midst. Thanks for sending us these photos, Bonnie.

So there you have a little good news in the midst of chaos. Stay safe!

Updated Information - 3rd Case in Shandaken

There is a 3rd case confirmed here in Shandaken and 462 cases in Ulster County. Town Supervisor Rob Stanley put out an update on the Town website today. It has a lot of good information about getting food safely if you are at risk. Here is the link.

https://www.shandaken.us/news/3-18-20-update-volunteers-needed/

Also, the Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan has been holding online town hall briefings. His next one is Thursday, April 9th at 2pm. You can tune into it from the Ulster County CO-VID 19 information page. Here is that link.

https://covid19.ulstercountyny.gov

Please remember to take care of your own mental health in this crisis and take news breaks when it all feels like it is too much. We are lucky to live in a beautiful place, take a few deep breaths and enjoy the beauty just outside your window.

Stay healthy and safe!

Updates From NY State

You can sign up for updates delivered directly into your email box from the State of NY. This daily summary focuses on the things that are happening in NY that have a direct effect on us. It is a great way to get up to the minute relevant information.

Here is the link:
https://now.ny.gov/page/s/coronavirus-updates?fbclid=IwAR2xSG9OaomXyhl9F1H41k3S3NJcEzOWRKC0x6sFTY-pg-wSp8MuFSeba8o

Right now the Town of Shandaken still has had only 2 cases of the virus. Stay healthy everyone!

Another Case

The Ulster County website has reported that there is a 2nd case in the Town of Shandaken. Please everyone stay healthy and safe and maintain your social distancing practices.

County Stats and Town News

Ulster County has put together a web page where you can follow the number of Covid-19 cases on a town by town basis. As of right now, Shandaken still has only one. There is all sorts of other information on this site like the county Covid-19 hotline number and information about mobile testing sites. Here is the link.
https://covid19.ulstercountyny.gov

Town Clerk Joyce Grant is still writing marriage licenses in the town. If you need one you can call her at 845-688-5004. She will then arrange to meet you outside of Town Hall with the paper work and get it done, sort of like curb service. Joyce has never stood in the way of love and she won't start now.

Town Supervisor Rob Stanley weighed in on whether AirBnBs in Shandaken should remain open or not. To see what he has to say go to the Daily Freeman link below and read Rob's thoughts on the issue.

https://www.dailyfreeman.com/news/local-news/shandaken-supervisor-urges-restrictions-on-short-term-rentals-amid-pandemic/article_50c4b4ce-704c-11ea-ad54-17ce1fa79cca.html

Finally, if you are on Facebook be sure to follow the Town of Shandaken Facebook page for up to the minute updates for the town. That page is used to get information out in this and all other emergency situations.

Town Offices

The Town of Shandaken offices are closed for in-person service but still available by email or phone. They have staggered the workforce a bit to create a safe environment for workers but they are still there. You can find all the phone numbers and email addresses for the town offices on their website. Just click on the link for the exact office you need.
https://www.shandaken.us/town-offices/

The recycling center at Town Hall is also open for it's usual hours - Monday, Thursday & Saturday 7:30am to 12:30pm.

NY County Statistics on COVID-19

To see the exact numbers of the COVID-19 cases in New York the NYS Health Department has set up a web page (see link below). The number in Ulster County as of this minute is 35. Keep checking the site for ongoing updates.

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/county-county-breakdown-positive-cases