Remembering Jeff Joerger

It saddens me to say that we are mourning the passing of our good Mountaindale friend, Jeff Joerger. Looking back, I realize that I have known him about 30 years. We first met at his amazing antique store on Route 209, 'L'Art Deco.' He had such wonderful stories about all the celebs who were his clientele in the city. You'd never know about his wilder days, based on the quiet, gentle soul we would see as he went about his daily affairs in his landscaping business. His funeral will be held Wed at 11AM. I would like to share his Obit from today's Record & hope that others will write in to share more memories of his life. Condolences to his family,

Barb Schmitt

JEFFREY ANTHONY JOERGER

April 8, 1939 - May 1, 2011

Loving father, grandfather and devoted brother, Jeff Joerger passed on May 1st 2011 from complications related to a stroke. Jeffrey was born on Great Neck Long Island April 8th 1939 to parents Frances Fifi and Edward Joerger.

He moved to New York City after service in the army and an unsuccessful audition with the New York Yankees to which he remarked; Yogi said I just wasn't fast enough for the job. A Brooklyn Dodger fan in his formative years he eventually became an avid Yankee fan till the end.

In New York's Greenwich Village he ran a successful antique store with his partner of 20 years, Suzanne Lipschutz. The shop opened in 1966 and originally located on West 10th Street and Hudson was a magnet for celebrities and musicians of the era including The Lovin' Spoonful, The Association, Frank Serpico, John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

In 1969 Jeff, as president of Food For Love, the food concession of the Woodstock festival in Bethel, NY helped provide the food and drink for the famous event. Jeff and Suzanne, inspired by Woodstock and in an attempt to escape the city for the summers bought the former Bedik Poultry farm in Greenfield Park and transformed a small house on the property into an artistic outpost of bohemian culture dubbed Luke's Farm. Jeff lived on the 110 acre farm for over thirty years working in various industries including local landscape design. He always said of his work I used to grow it, now I mow it.

Jeffrey Joerger is survived by his son, Luke Jude Joerger and wife, Glynis Cotton, their sons, Jude and Griffin; sister, Francesca McNichol and husband, Bill, Susan Joerger and her husband, Franco Zucconi nephew, Timothy McNichol; his loving dog, Saint and numerous friends and colleagues in the Sullivan, Ulster and New York City area. He will be terribly missed by all.

Services will be held Wednesday, May 4th at the Colonial Memorial Funeral Home in Woodbourne, NY, 396 NYS Rt. 52, Woodbourne, NY; 845-434-7363 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with burial following at Glen Wild Cemetery.

JEFFREY ANTHONY JOERGER

April 8, 1939 - May 1, 2011

Loving father, grandfather and devoted brother, Jeff Joerger passed on May 1st 2011 from complications related to a stroke. Jeffrey was born on Great Neck Long Island April 8th 1939 to parents Frances Fifi and Edward Joerger.

He moved to New York City after service in the army and an unsuccessful audition with the New York Yankees to which he remarked; Yogi said I just wasn't fast enough for the job. A Brooklyn Dodger fan in his formative years he eventually became an avid Yankee fan till the end.

In New York's Greenwich Village he ran a successful antique store with his partner of 20 years, Suzanne Lipschutz. The shop opened in 1966 and originally located on West 10th Street and Hudson was a magnet for celebrities and musicians of the era including The Lovin' Spoonful, The Association, Frank Serpico, John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

In 1969 Jeff, as president of Food For Love, the food concession of the Woodstock festival in Bethel, NY helped provide the food and drink for the famous event.

Jeff and Suzanne, inspired by Woodstock and in an attempt to escape the city for the summers bought the former Bedik Poultry farm in Greenfield Park and transformed a small house on the property into an artistic outpost of bohemian culture dubbed Luke's Farm.

Jeff lived on the 110 acre farm for over thirty years working in various industries including local landscape design. He always said of his work I used to grow it, now I mow it.

Jeffrey Joerger is survived by his son, Luke Jude Joerger and wife, Glynis Cotton, their sons, Jude and Griffin; sister, Francesca McNichol and husband, Bill, Susan Joerger and her husband, Franco Zucconi nephew, Timothy McNichol; his loving dog, Saint and numerous friends and colleagues in the Sullivan, Ulster and New York City area. He will be terribly missed by all.

Services will be held Wednesday, May 4th at the Colonial Memorial Funeral Home in Woodbourne, NY, 396 NYS Rt. 52, Woodbourne, NY; 845-434-7363 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with burial following at Glen Wild Cemetery.

Creative Re-Use Mountaindale Renaissance Scavenger Hunt

Greetings Sports Fans!

What a beautiful day it it outside...the air smells like spring, the grass is green, and the leaves are about to burst forth on some trees, while others are in full bloom. Simply stated, this time of the year both rejuvenates and invigorates the soul. So, seems like a perfect day to announce a Community Challenge...

The Great Mountaindale Renaissance Scavenger Hunt

This year, the Mountaindale Community Development Project, and the Mountaindale Sullivan Renaissance Project Committee have settled upon a GREAT BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT for our small hamlet...we are going to enhance the entrance to our "Rails to Trails", and just a bit further in on the trail we are going to create a sculptural interpretation of the O&W Railways 33 Steam Locomotive that met it's demise in our town at the turn of the 20th century over 100 years ago.

We would like our project to include some Environmentally Friendly Green Aspects, and one of these green aspects is the creative re-use of materials in the building and construction of this project, taking both found and hanging around stuff that might otherwise end up in a landfill and turning into art, landscaping with these found items that people, businesses just might have hanging around taking up space.

Thus the Great Re-Use Mountaindale Renaissance Scavenger Hunt...this is where our community comes in. We need Scavenger Hunters...individuals and groups that could help us in finding materials that we can creatively Re-Use in breathing our Steam Locomotive into reality. There are no prizes, this is not a contest, but instead a challenge, an opportunity to do community service in a very unique and different way. Have planting materials that need thinned out, or maybe some perennials in an overgrown and abandoned bed? We would love to have them. Perhaps you have some old nails, screws or even bailing wire laying around? Again, we would LOVE to have them. Are you a nursery with some overstock that needs some Tender Loving Care? Give us a call.

What are we looking for you ask? Anything and everything is up for consideration, but we do have some very specific needs.

• Plywood 1x4x8...treated is preferable, but beggars cannot be choosy.


• 2x4x8's...again, treated would be IDEAL, but again, any 2x4x 8 will suffice.


• 2x6x8's (or longer!) Yes, you guessed it, treated would be a bonus.


• 2x10 or 2x12...any length from 8-16 foot would be ideal.


• 6x6x8 landscaping timbers.


• Fallen Birch trees/limbs...will be used for accent details on train.


• 3-5 inch decking or other screws.


• Number 8 and 16 common nails...we are not picky at all when it comes to nails, so rusty ones are fine.


• 55 Gallon Drums...we need a total of ten, and have three right now.


• 30 Gallon Drums...we could use at least two of these.


• Old Pipe in say 8-12 inch diameter.

Some DREAM ITEMS ON OUR LIST

• 4 Old Wagon Wheels that are say 24-36 inches in diameter as the back wheels of the train.


• 4 Smaller spoked wheels of 12-15 inches in diameter.


• 7 Flowering Ornamental Trees


• Any Perennial (preferably native plant species) plants that could be easily transplanted into our garden spaces being created.


• A Brass BELL for the train...maybe about eight-twelve inches!

This is by no means a comprehensive list, so if you have something you think we could use or incorporate in some fashion, give us a call. We have a staging area for these found materials, so if you have things, just let us know when you would like to drop them off. We are also ALWAYS looking for volunteers, so if you or your group would like to participate, are looking for a change to do community service work, please give us a call so we can work with you.

Sherwood Martinelli
Renaissance Committee Chair
(845) 693-4513

Barb Schmitt
Mountaindale Community Development Project
(845) 434-4747

If you would like to make a donation to our project please send check too:

Mountaindale Community Development Project (MCDP)
PO Box 333
Mountaindale, NY 12763
(Be sure to put in Memo that the donation is for 2011 Renaissance)

April 30th Clean Up/Maintenance Day Great Success

This past Saturday, the Mountaindale Community Development Project, our Sullivan Renaissance Project Committee and local volunteers got together for a day or work and play here in our beautiful little hamlet, and with the weather cooperating, a lot of work was accomplished, with those participating having a great time.

The Hummingbird Garden (a 2009 Renaissance Project) received some much needed pruning, grooming and weeding...still some work to do, but it is presenting nicely. Looks like we need to replace a few plants, but overall, the garden wintered well, and the daffodils that are now in bloom there should soon be replaced with other flowers of the season. Work was begun on the Main Street water statement (small water pond) which is located adjacent to the Mountaindale Community Art Center. The bedding was cleaned, dirt turned, and some annual seeds planted around the pond for some additional WOW factor.

Some serious time was spent tying construction ribbon around trees that need to be thinned out for this years Renaissance Project over in the Rails to Trails corridor...unfortunately, someone (perhaps not realizing their purpose) came along later in the day and took them all down, so we will have to go in and remark said trees slated for removal using spray paint.

There was a GREAT DEAL OF ACTIVITY behind the school, much of it centered around washing off the maze, and cleaning up around the nature bridge. Add to this list of accomplishments the first mowing of the season, and Mountaindale is really looking beautiful as we welcome the month of May, and the summer visitors who are beginning to make their appearance in our community.

A very special thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who helped us this past Saturday...our small town looks as beautiful as it does because of each and every one of you.

Some Event Reminders, and Mini Grant Opportunity.

The sun is shining outside as evening makes its way into our lives, the week is waning, and wanted to bring a couple of reminders and a opportunity to the attention of our residents and business owners.

Events:

1. Saturday, we will have our first community clean up/maintenance day here in Mountaindale from 2-5 PM (April 30th)

2. Don't forget starting this coming Tuesday May 1st Aerobic Cadio Belly Dancing is coming to town from 6:30-7:45 PM on a weekly basis.

Small Business/Entity Mini Grants From Sullivan Renaissance

Sometimes, something sticks in your head...one of those things sees us here in Mountaindale reaching out to our various business owners in the hopes of seeing all of us as a community kicking it up a notch with the help of Sullivan Renaissance. Our committee, the Mountaindale Community Development Project has sent out the following email on the Sullivan Renaissance Mini Grants Program.

Dear Mountaindale Business Neighbors,

For the moment anyway, the rain has stopped & the sun is shining, the grass is green & verdant and I can see brilliant yellow daffodils from my office windows. This makes me think about how beautiful our Main Streets will look in a few weeks when we put the flower planters out. However, what if we were to work together to kick things up a notch? Sherwood pointed out to me that Sullivan Renaissance is offering $200 Mini Grants that can be used for a business' storefront beautification. I am attaching a copy of the description & application to see if we might work in a coordinated effort to garner a few of these so that we have a very dynamic display this year. For example, what if some of the funding went toward lush hanging baskets in front of all the businesses that could be started from seeds in the greenhouse? Plz let me know if you would consider this initiative for us to work on cooperatively & then Sherwood & I will help us to submit for a few grants and we'll see what kind of an impact we might make w/ a collaborative effort over the next several months.

BTW, we are starting our maintenance work this Saturday from 2 - 5 PM & would love to see you as volunteers either behind the school or at one of our other community flower beds. Tea & homemade cookies will be served as light refreshments.

Thank you all!
Barb