Scholar in Residence Weekend

Danny Maseng

I take great personal pleasure in announcing the return of the charismatic Danny Maseng to Sullivan County. This will be a special visit
to Congregation Agudas Achim in Livingston Manor from July 12th to 14th for a weekend of spiritual uplift, music, storytelling, prayer and study. This will be one of the most exciting events in their 100th Anniversary celebration. Danny was the synogogue's spiritual leader from 1994-1999.  Through him they discovered a unique spirituality and love of music during services.  Since he left our region, he has become a major figure in modern Judaism.  Please visit his website Danny Maseng.com to discover more about this dynamic person.  You will be able to enjoy samples of his storytelling and music.  He is currently chazzan for Temple Israel in of Hollywood, CA.  He also helps train Rabbis and Cantors for URJ.  In addition, he is an acclaimed inspirational performer who has delighted audiences throughout the Jewish world. He has also appeared in numerous television shows and documentaries.

The scholar-in-residence experience will begin with a Shabbat Service starting at 8:00PM on Friday night on July 12th. Saturday evening July 13^th is the highlight of the weekend, an intimate concert preceded by Havdalah at 7:30PM in the Temple sanctuary.  Sunday morning July 14th, Torah Study will begin at 10:00AM  There will be a $40 charge for the Saturday night concert. There is no charge for Shabbat Services or the Torah Study.  Please mail checks to Bob & Lynne Freedman at 3 Johnston Rd. Livingston Manor, NY 12758. Contact them at 845-439-5708 or by email at agudasachim@hvc.rr.com for more information and reservations.

Please encourage your friends and relatives to share this wonderful scholar-in-residence program.  It is the opportunity of lifetime to enrich the Jewish identity in Sullivan County.  The concert will be appropriate for teens and non-Jews.

Ambitious Hike



Jhaquiel Reagan - photo provided

 It is often said that "Good help is hard to find."  That's why Indianapolis restaurant owner, Art Bouvier, was so impressed when he observed teenager, Jhaquiel Reagan,  walking 10 miles in freezing weather and snow to a minimum wage job interview at a Dairy Queen. The two had crossed paths accidentally when the 18 year old stopped in the Papa Roux parking lot to verify directions. Bouvier noted that there were still 6 or 7 more miles ahead and that Reagan ought to take the bus. Unfortunately, Reagan knew he didn't have bus fare so he just kept right on walking. The young man was no stanger to adversity since he had been taking care of his younger siblings since their mom had passed away two years earlier.

When Bouvier observed Reagan still walking some 20 minutes down the road, he knew he had to step in and offer the youth a ride the rest of the way. He was also a great judge of character and understood that someone with this much drive would be an excellent employee. He made him a second offer - a job offer at the Papa Roux cajun cafe. Reagan accepted and the story was posted on Facebook. The story went viral! IndyGo, the Indianapolis public transportation authority, has donated a year's supply of bus passes to Jhaqueil. Other donations continued pouring in and the pair have created a foundation to help other underprivileged teens who are looking for work.

Jhaquiel Reagan is delighted with his new job and I'll guess Art Bouvier is enjoying the benefits of a hardworking employee as well as priceless exposure for his restaurant, and most of all the knowledge that he followed his heart and it guided him well.

Sonny Smith, an Original!

Photo by Carol Montana, The Catskill Chronicle

If you lived in Sullivan County and listened to WSUL Radio during the 1980's, you surely must remember the unique voice of Sonny Smith, shouting "Staaaanley" in all of their ads. Sonny and her husband, Stanley, were the owners of Smith Shoes for as far back as I can remember.  Their mom and pop store was located on Main Street in South Fallsburg and remained in business with their special customer service for as long as they could, up against the big box stores and chain places in the Middletown malls.

I had the privilege of hearing Sonny Smith speak of her beloved Stanley all day this past Saturday.  One of the many, many roles this busy lady has is a volunteer instructor for a Defensive Driving Class, which is conveniently offered in South Fallsburg at the local Senior Center.  Your insurance agent will tell you that it is very good for you to take the course from a certified instructor at least once every three years.  Not only does it help you to be a safer driver but it also reduces your insurance premium by 10%.  You may ask, what Stanley Smith has to do with Defensive Driving, and the answer would be nothing.  Yet Sonny has the knack of making the class so much more interesting by peppering it with the occasional anecdote and personal observation.  At a spritely 85 years young, Sonya "Sonny" Smith has a great many observations and stories to keep the packed class moving.  She is also extremely civic minded and these courses help to support the Fallsburg Fire Department, an organization she has been passionately dedicated to for many years.  She is also community minded and had menus from a local restaurant on hand so that the course participants could easily patronize a local Main Street business.

For more information about a Defensive Driving Course in New York, please visit  the New York Safety Council.  Or, better yet, take the class with Sonny Smith but don't ever, ever make her sing to you while out driving in traffic!  It means you've been naughty.

Storm A'Coming

Rainbow of Hope & Promise

So, who is your favorite source for weather reports and what are they forecasting? Everyone is talking snow and it does sound like it's pretty sure to be a big, serious snow. The critical questions are How Much and When? Depending on who you talk to, it might be anywhere from 4 inches locally to something that rivals the Blizzard of 1978. I certainly remember those images of buried cars in Buffalo, New York.

With no way to change the weather, I offer my hope that we all stay warm and safe. Please make good, reasonable choices. I share this Rainbow with you as a reminder that the sun will shine again, everything will eventually melt, and spring will be here in just 6 more weeks.

Local Weather Forecast

"ARE YOU O.K." Program

Town of Fallsburg Police - provided photo

The Town of Fallsburg Police Department truly understands the slogan "To Serve and Protect." They have just begun the "ARE YOU O.K." Program throughout our community. The program will consist of monthly well-being checks on elderly or homebound residents and will help develop support connections for these individuals. The intent is to develop a database with relevant contact information and special needs notations with the consent of the participants. To be included, the person must be a Town of Fallsburg resident, and be 65 years old or older, and in poor health, or be homebound. With the current bitter, bitter cold temperatures, I, for one, am especially glad this project is being initiated. This concept was inspired by the tragedy at the Grandview Palace, when it was realised that there are many elderly citizens in our community who were in need of critcal services and contact resources.

For a full list of program criteria, please click here and call Officer Jason Edwards at 845-434-4422. Consider your neighbors who may be in need of this valued support.  And Thanks to our Police force for being Fallsburg's finest!