Columnists
Down the Decades
October 20, 2020 Edition
110 Years Ago - 1910
The family of Walter Keesler, who lives on Cole's Flat, across the river from Long Eddy, were all poisoned the forepart of last week from drinking soured buttermilk and eating cooked stuff that had been made from the buttermilk. One little girl, five years old, died ...read more
Garden Guru
Composting
Reading the Democrat on Tuesday, I saw the headline about the tipping fees going up at the landfill. It's not a done deal yet, but that is just a formality at this point. The legislators already said the increase looks reasonable so it is just a matter of time.
With that in mind, now more than ...read more
Retrospect
The 143rd
On Saturday, October 10, 1936, a steady rain that had been falling all day paused momentarily as a small gathering hoisted a new 12-foot U.S. flag up the recently erected flagpole at the Ethelbert B. Crawford Memorial Library on Broadway in Monticello.
The flagpole was being dedicated that ...read more
Bethel Corner
Bethel - October 20
Happy birthday to Nicholas Ferrara, Victoria, Moreen, Yamilet Gonzalez, Jennifer Grimes, Joe Abraham, Drew Doherty, Annie Friedman and Susan Herfield.
Happy anniversary to Nikki and Mike Kaufman and Paula and Bruce Kaufman.
Our sympathy is extended to Gloria, the family and friends of ...read more
About Books
JACK by Marilynne Robinson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The column has been talking about “straight” fiction, deeply felt, carefully characterized novels. Marilynne Robinson is that and then some, that readable, but deeper still. Of course she, like you, doesn't need to hear that from me, so: Any ...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 - September 25
Greetings faithful readers. Fall has truly arrived now, the wonderful change of seasons that we experience here in Sullivan County is upon us. The sugar maples are beginning to change color, not yet brilliant, but no longer green.
I am saddened to report that the hummingbirds have left us. Poof! ...read more
Hope for the Day
Be Faithful
Living in such uncertain times can leave us filled with stress and anxiety as we never know what the next day will bring. However, there is one constant that will never change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). We can be certain of that.
Another scripture ...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 - October 9
The big news over the past month in Smallwood has been the election and seating of a new Smallwood Civic Association (SWCA) Board.
The Board consists of 13 members, seven of whom are Officers with specific portfolios and six of whom are Directors. I cannot recall anything in the past few years ...read more
Jeffersonville
Jeffersonville - October 16
Our Fall weather has been a definite roller coaster ride! Warm and sunny then damp, dark and rainy. The foliage this year is beautiful wherever you look. I have been sending visitors down Route 97 to look at the leaves along the river. I think sometimes “we” forget how pretty our area really ...read more
Lake Huntington
Lake Huntington - October 20
Before I write a column, I check what I wrote last year. Last year I was talking about the freezing rain and snow that was coming. This has been a real crap year, but we are blessed with great weather, it might be a little chilly but it is sunny and bright most of the time. It's nice to get out and ...read more
White Sulphur Springs
White Sulphur Springs - August 28
Celebrating their birthdays this month are Tom Lewis August 7, Deb Fink August 8, Matt Dewitt August 19, Tom Edwards August 22.
A very special birthday celebration this past weekend was held for Alice Edwards, known to many as “Grandma Alice,” turned 100 years old. On Saturday she was surprised ...read more
Older & Wiser
Plan before you choose
Fall Annual Election Period Is Now! From October 15 through December 7, you can make changes as you need to your Medicare coverage. Any changes you make will take effect January 2021. If you choose to stay with your current coverage, nothing will change.
Medicare Part D, the prescription drug ...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
Free Membership
When you're buying something, who do you rely on for product reviews? How do you find exactly what you need at the right price? Do you ask your friends on social media? Do you read the product reviews on shopping websites?
If so, how do you know if you can really trust Annie from Albuquerque or ...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
So Long Saigon
Prologue:
This “Looking Back” column concludes my recounting of the Vietnam war. Over the past four years it has covered many of my personal experiences, as well as the aircraft and other weapons used. I think it only appropriate to finish this series with a brief history of the event that ...read more
Highland
Highland - October 20
As the Covid-19 pandemic starts its second wave and hospitalizations are increasing our County seems to be holding its own. But still any meaningful recovery has not taken hold and our County's unemployment rate is hovering around 10.9% while the State's unemployment rate as of September is 12.6%. ...read more
Jewish Culture
The Blame-Shame Game
This past week I received two pieces of feedback for this column. One was from an individual in Florida complimenting my June article about Black Lives Matter. He saw the article shared by Gary Weiss, a journalist who I don't know personally. Weiss highlighted the value of hyper-local media, i.e. ...read more
Liberty
Liberty - October 13
Beautiful October: Hello everyone. I'm loving the extra vivid Autumn colors this month. Our daughter-in-law, Lesli, created a beautiful table centerpiece by placing a string of battery lights in a pretty glass vase and adding freshly gathered bright, colored leaves, it looks so beautiful. It was a ...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
