Columnists
Down the Decades
August 11, 2020 Edition
140 Years Ago - 1880
Wm. Keeler of Middletown and Irene Harding of Fremont were married at the bride's home on July 18, 1880, by the Rev. Fuller of Orange County.
On Sunday night, July 25th, Adolph E. Wenzel, aged 43, died at his residence in Callicoon of inflammation of the ...read more
Garden Guru
Summertime
Summertime, it is hazy, hot and humid, and as a result no one wants to do much gardening. I can't say that I blame them, it is not much fun having to work in this heat. But if you are lucky enough to be on vacation or even just have a couple days off this weather can be really nice.
Now you ...read more
Retrospect
The Right to Vote
On August 18, 1920, Tennessee narrowly ratified the 19th Amendment, making it the law throughout the United States, but the right to vote was not obtained without a major grassroots effort by thousands of women in small towns all across America.
“New York State was key to the national movement ...read more
Bethel Corner
Bethel 8/11
Happy birthday to Mia Bloom, Keith Newman, Tim Dollard, Tanya and Shira, Hazel Meddaugh, Debbie Moore, Kim Phillips, Jesse Florance, Letha, JP, Kristine Walsh, Honey Wohl, Mary B Erhlick, Kylie ‘Title 9' Halperin and Steve Marguiles.
Happy anniversary to Molly and Samantha and to Sam and Eric ...read more
About Books
August 7, 2020
SUMMER by Ali Smith (Pantheon). There's little more for me to tell you about this most exhilarating of masterpieces. There's this: Even though I've said that it didn't matter much in what order you read her AUTUMN, WINTER, and SPRING (and in the largest sense, it doesn't matter, just as you could ...read more
Making Sense Out of Dollars
“A” is for Annuities
Part 1 of 8
An annuity is a contractually executed, relatively low-risk investment product, where the insured (usually, an individual) pays a life insurance company a lump-sum premium at the start of the contract. That money is to be paid back to the insured in fixed, incremental amounts, over ...read more
Kenoza Lake
Kenoza Lake - August 7
Morning bird chatter/songs have faded. Now the soft hum of crickets and other such insects. Soothing, until the first frost. A pair of wrens made their summer home on the front porch of the Otto household.
Their second batch of baby birds are chirping, and the parents are feverishly feeding ...read more
Hope for the Day
My guard dog
I have a guard dog. She's not a trained guard dog, and doesn't look like a guard dog. She's just a mid-sized mixed breed, a sweet old girl. Muffy wasn't even my dog to start with, but somewhere along the way she chose me to be her person and decided she needs to guard me at all times.
Muffy ...read more
Woodridge
Woodridge - January 17
Woodridge lost a treasure recently with the passing of Robert Longo, who was born in 1921 in Hazelton, Pennsylvania. He was one of ten children, part of a large and loving, but financially struggling family.
Upon graduation from high school in 1939 Bob decided to get a job to help with the ...read more
Youngsville
January 21
It's been awhile since I have written. The holidays arrived, we were busy and then the weeks somehow got away from me and one week turned into another and then another.
So here we are, into the New Year, 2014, and I am back. I hope everyone had a great holiday season and that the New Year ...read more
Smallwood
Smallwood-Mongaup Valley - August 14
The dog days—those most sultry days of the entire year—are upon us. It used to be everyone reveled in these high days of late summer, aware that the end of summer was drawing nigh. That made these final weeks by the lake or on a hammock seem even more languorous, almost “stolen,” from normal life. ...read more
Jeffersonville
Jeffersonville - August 14
Enter the Adult Summer Reading Challenge Program now through September 7th. Borrow a book or audiobook from the Western Sullivan Public Library through curbside pickup or via OverDrive or Libby and tell them what you think of it.
To enter, complete the book review form found on the Adult ...read more
Lake Huntington
Lake Huntington - August 11
Hello, hope you are all enjoying your summer, and being safe. I was so excited my brother and I were going on a small vacation to Cape May, for a few days. My sister rented a house there for 2 weeks. Between both of our work schedules it's a no go. October I was going to Greece but canceled that ...read more
White Sulphur Springs
White Sulphur Springs - July 10
Congratulations to Liberty Central High School Seniors, Class of 2020. Among those graduating, my grandson Chandler Fink.
The graduation ceremony was held 7 p.m. on Friday, June 26th at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Only graduating seniors, Board of Education members and some administrators ...read more
Monticello
Monticello - November 16
This will be my last column for the Democrat for Monticello.
Good Luck to the three new members who were installed at the Monticello Elks Club and they are: Kyle McNair, Deborah Walker and Rosemarie Paty.
The Roast Beef dinner that was recently held by the Monticello Kiwanians seemed to be ...read more
Narrowsburg
Narrowsburg - January 15
In one of my 2018 “Narrowsburg News” columns, I requested information on a house in the Luxton Lake section of town. I had just bought the circa 1860s farmhouse, which was abandoned for many decades, and was starting the process of renovating it. I had heard tales it was called “Sleepy Hollow” ...read more
Library Directors Corner
Slow and steady wins the race
Have you seen the chart listing how risky certain activities may be for contracting the Coronavirus? Visiting your local library is listed as “low-to-moderate risk”. Well, your favorite local libraries are reopening! We all miss you.
As much as we can't wait to see you, we are still being ...read more
Give Us Paws
A hairy matter
You're really lucky to be human: you get to choose what you wear. Longer days and warmer weather make us want to change our wardrobe and get the lighter, brighter attire ready to wear. Pets? They each get one coat, with underwear that sheds in bits and pieces, all over the place. And no fur-bearing ...read more
EMS Coordinator
EMS - May 11
The requirements to be a paramedic are intense. It is a career choice for the brave at heart and not without consequences. Paramedicine is the highest level of EMS training. A paramedic can perform advanced life support skills such as initiating an IV, administering medications and advanced ...read more
Looking Back: At Vietnam
The “Spooks” of Vietnam
Prologue:
Shortly after I arrived in Vietnam in January 1966, I attended an “in-theater” briefing, which consisted of a series of lectures concerning the social/political aspects of Vietnam, flight operations, terrain and weather orientation, and most important--Search & Rescue (SAR).
That ...read more
Highland
Highland - August 11
It's hard for me to believe that only twenty one percent of Sullivan County residents have completed the 2020 ten question Census form which is less than half of the forty-three percent New York State average.
The Town of Highland scores in at twenty four percent responses. Conducting a US ...read more
Jewish Culture
Rooting for the Right Things
Two articles ago, which is a month ago, I said that I'll share something new that I learned, so here it is.
There is a verse in Ezekiel where the prophet finds a group of women involved in idol worshipping. It says (8,14), “the women were sitting, making the Tammuz weep.”
Rashi, the famous ...read more
Liberty
Liberty - August 4
Hello Again: It's Fran. For those thinking of moving South....OMG, I'd have to be inside in the AC all day. At least we have been able to sit outside in the shade and get a little breeze. My birdbath has been a delight to watch. (real entertainment for old folks) A family of finches takes turns ...read more
The Job Coach
Why do you want to work here?
Why do you want to work here?
In a previous article, I talked about answering the question, “what is your greatest weakness?” As you may recall, this is a traditional interview question - a common question that you can anticipate getting at some point during an interview. And because you know ...read more
Veterans Voice
My personal experiences …
Vietnam ended for me during May 1969 when I was seriously wounded on “Hamburger Hill.” Hill 937 was located in the Ashau Valley, a stronghold and Headquarters for the North Vietnam Army, located along the Ho Chi Minh trail, by means of Cambodia and Laos zigzagging along the western border of ...read more
Greening Sullivan
Summing up
I am going to take a leave of absence from this weekly column. It has been a privilege to share ideas with you to solve a problem about which I care very deeply.
I know that we share a common concern that our Earth is losing its ability to support human life. I am puzzled that so many hesitate ...read more
