Don't Forget...Saturday Night August 27th...OPEN MIC NIGHT In Mountaindale!

Just reminding everyone...

Music & Rhyme Open Mic Night August 27

Mountaindale, NY - Mountaindale is calling all performers to a Music & Rhyme Open Mic Night on Saturday, August 27th at 8PM at a Coffeehouse Jam in 62 Main Street in Mountaindale.

Spoken word, live Poetry and Music will all be welcome. A $5 cover fee will include admission and refreshments, and will benefit community enhancement efforts by the Mountaindale Community Development Project. each performer will have 5 minutes for "Family Oriented" material, with the possibility of an encore for talent well appreciated by the audience. To register or for more info, please call barb at 845-434-4747 or Gina Marie at 845-701-5582 and let your voice be heard.

Saturday August 27-Richard Heppner Author of Women of the Catskills: Stories of Struggle, Sacrifice & Hope

Richard Heppner

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Catskill Harvest (in the Cafe)

1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

When it comes to Catskill Mountain history, author and historian Richard Heppner isn't going to let women get the short end of the stick. Instead, he's put them front-and-center in Women of the Catskills: Stories of Struggle, Sacrifice and Hope.

We're looking forward to having Mr. Heppner join us this Saturday, August 27, from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. for his very first visit to Catskill Harvest.

While he's here, Heppner will host an informal meet & greet with customers and share what he discovered about our region's most fearless women while writing his book.

From Tasting Bars to wool spinning demonstrations, "Catskill Harvest Presents..." has aimed to spotlight the finest in Sullivan County.

Now, from the literary side, we're eager to have Richard Heppner join the line-up to shed light on a collection of fine women who helped shape our local history.

RSVP

More about Richard Heppner
He has served as town historian for Woodstock, NY, for the last ten years. He also serves on the board of directors for the Historical Society of Woodstock and the Woodstock Memorial Society. Over the years, he has authored and edited numerous essays and texts on Woodstock's unique history.

Richard lives in Woodstock, New York, with his wife, Deborah and two children, Eliza and Jonathan. His previous work for The History Press includes Remembering Woodstock (2007).

Should The NRC Close Indian Point Reactors Ahead of Hurricane Irene?

Two words...STORM SURGE.

If you are tracking Hurricane Irene, it could make landfall almost anywhere from South Carolina northward, with New York currently one of the potentials for landfall of this Category Three (perhaps a category four) Hurricane. There is a very good chance that New York could take a direct hit, and if we do, the storm surge has the potential to be catastrophic...it could be even worse if the power goes out to Indian Point, and their back up generators get flooded in a very similar flooding to that in Japan in the Fukushima disaster that has created at least three nuclear reactor meltdowns. A look at the NOAA website under the search term Storm Surge, you find the following quote:

Along the coast, storm surge is often the greatest threat to life and property from a hurricane.

Which begs the question...is an ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure? Right now, NOAA does not have storm surge maps for this storm, was told today that it is much too early to create those kinds of maps with any accuracy as they are not sure yet what track this storm is going to take as it takes its run up the East Coast. Would it make more sense for the NRC, our state government to order the SAFE SHUTDOWN and COOLING of Indian Points reactors until after this potentially catastrophic storm has passed? We look at Eliot Brenner's, NRC's Public Affairs Officer, own words spoken when trying to convince people that Earthquakes were not a serious issue for Indian Point (though it sits ATOP a fault line):

"For example, at nuclear plants along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, the greatest water threat is hurricane storm surge, not a tsunami."

Look at yesterday's earthquake...the strongest earthquake in our area in the last one hundred years. Yesterday's earthquake took out two nuclear reactors at the North Anna Power Station, and Twelve other nuclear power plants in New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland also declared unusual events Tuesday but did not shut down.

Hurricane Irene presents some potentially GREAT RISKS to the problem plagued Indian Point reactors owned by Entergy should New York take a direct hit by a Cat 3 or 4 Hurricane. The NRC's own staff have stated publicly that the storm surge from a Hurricane present the greatest risk to Indian Point. The storm surge holds the potential to flood the building housing the back up generators, the storm surge also holds the potential to CLOG UP the intakes that supply these two reactors with their 2.5 Billion gallons of daily water supply needed to cool the reactor core. So the question is posed, should these two reactors sitting along the edge of the Hudson River be shut down now as a precaution?

"BUCHANAN — To respond effectively to a Fukushima-like event, the Indian Point nuclear plant must fix several problems, including the potential buildup of explosive hydrogen gas and poorly placed firefighting and flood-protection equipment."

Some of Indian Points CRISIS SHORTCOMINGS INCLUDE:

• At Indian Point 2, hydrogen containment devices, which are supposed to be tested every other year, haven't been tested for five years.

• Fire protection equipment in locations that are not "seismically designed," or protected from a quake.

• Inspectors identified potential vulnerabilities associated with seismic events.

• At Indian Point 3, not enough firefighting equipment if severe events included both reactors simultaneously.

• In on-site availability of submersible pumps and sandbags needed at certain flood levels.

• Carbon-dioxide tanks used for firefighting are not seismically qualified.

Shouldn't we do a SAFE SHUT DOWN and cooling of the reactor cores now, rather than risk what could happen? Have we not learned our lesson from the TEPCO nuclear station disaster in Japan? Have we not learned that, contrary to NRC's false assurances, these reactors are not built to withstand all of Mother Natures onslaughts?

Is Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, Inc.Heading Off Fracking Damage Before it Occurs?

‘BAN LARGE TRUCKS ON ROUTE 97’

Upper Delaware Scenic Byway Calls for Industrial Truck Ban

[NARROWSBURG] – The Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, Inc. (UDSB) unanimously approved a resolution at its August 22 monthly meeting calling for all levels of government to enact regulations that would prohibit the passage of large trucks on New York State Route 97 if they are involved in new forms of heavy industrial use and mining. Instead, it calls for use of the adjacent railroad to transport heavy industrial equipment and materials.

The resolution specifically supports the continuation of traditional forms of truck usage such as vehicles for agriculture, lumbering, bluestone mining and transport of canoes.

The resolution states:

“WHEREAS, The majority portion of New York State Route 97 was legislatively designated as a component of the New York State Scenic Byways System on August 6, 2002 under a nomination as the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway; and

“WHEREAS, The Enhancement Concept for the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway (final corridor management plan, January 2002) expresses a vision to ‘highlight what is already an exceptional feature of the region’s appeal to residents and visitors alike – the highway itself. The most significant and attractive aspects of the byway will continue to be its spectacular highway vistas, access to the Delaware River and its resources, and the uniqueness of the communities along the byway’; and

“WHEREAS, The Upper Delaware River Valley is seeing proposals to introduce new forms of industry and mining involving heavy industrial equipment and materials, which will change the traditional patterns of transportation on New York State Route 97; and

“WHEREAS, An alternative for transporting heavy industrial equipment and material exists in the form of the Norfolk-Southern railroad tracks, which run parallel to New York State Route 97 for its entire length; and

“WHEREAS, The railroad has been the traditional form by which industrial equipment and materials have been moved through the Upper Delaware River Valley since it was constructed in the 1850’s as part of the old Erie mainline from Hoboken, NJ to Chicago, IL; and

“WHEREAS, The Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, Inc. non-profit organization, as managed by a board of representatives from the member municipalities, is tasked with protecting, promoting, and enhancing the designated byway route; and

“WHEREAS, Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, Inc. has aesthetic concerns over the potential visual intrusion impacts from this industrial activity and safety concerns that an increase in associated heavy traffic could interfere with safe travel along the highway, as well as cause a deterioration in New York State Route 97’s physical condition; and

“WHEREAS, Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, Inc. has already expressed an initial view on these issues in a resolution adopted at its February 28, 2011 meeting;

“NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway Inc. urges all levels of government, specifically including towns, villages, cities, counties, states, the federal government, and all regional authorities and bodies to enact or exercise their respective regulatory authorities to:

1) Prohibit the passage on New York State Route 97 of all large trucks and vehicles involved in new forms of heavy industrial use and mining; and

2) Support the continuation of traditional forms of truck usage on New York State Route 97, such as the use of vehicles for agriculture, lumbering, bluestone mining and transport of canoes; and

3) Place the burden on all non-traditional forms of heavy industrial and mining uses to disallow any activities that will detract from the inherent scenic qualities that were the basis for the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway’s designation.

“BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent to every municipality and regional governmental body that has jurisdiction over the Upper Delaware River Valley, and to the newspapers of general circulation within the valley.”

Go to www.upperdelawarescenicbyway.org for more information on the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway and its activities. A travelogue brochure is available by calling toll-free 866-511-UDSB (8372). The organization’s meetings are held every fourth Monday at 7:00 p.m. at 211 Bridge Street in Narrowsburg. They are open to the public.

UDSB officers are Chairperson Nadia Rajsz from the Town of Lumberland, Vice-Chairperson Rosie DeCristofaro from the Town of Delaware, and Secretary-Treasurer Larry H. Richardson from the Town of Cochecton. Member municipalities include Village of Hancock, Town of Tusten, Town of Highland, Town of Deerpark, City of Port Jervis and Sullivan County. Sullivan Renaissance is a nonvoting member of the UDSB.

Do You Trust Exxon To Extract Natural Gas in Sullivan County Using Hydraulic Fracturing?

Our politicians here in New York, here in Sullivan County seem bent on allowing Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) to begin in our state, and more specifically in our beautiful, scenic Hudson River Valley, natural gas wells and the ills they bring soon to become a COMMON SITE in our communities. One of the big players should this happen is Exxon (owns rights to 317,000 acres in Marcellus Shale) who has been blanketing the airwaves with commercials such as the one above wherein Exxon's geologist Eric Oswald tries to convince us that Exxon knows how important that they GET THIS RIGHT. (That line was borrowed or stolen from President Obama.)

Lets explore how Exxon DOES NOT GET IT RIGHT.

Let us start with the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In an excerpt from Wikipedia:

The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for Long Beach, California, struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled 260,000 to 750,000 barrels (41,000 to 119,000 m³) of crude oil.^[1][2] It is considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused environmental disasters.^[3] The Valdez spill was the largest ever in U.S. waters until the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, in terms of volume released.^[4] However, Prince William Sound's remote location, accessible only by helicopter, plane, and boat, made government and industry response efforts difficult and severely taxed existing plans for response.

The Exxon Valdez is perhaps the best known example of Exxon NOT GETTING IT RIGHT, but one does not have to look far to find example after example of them cutting corners, violating the laws, rules and regulations meant to protect the communities they do business and harm in. From Texas we find this excerpt:

Texas has fined Exxon Mobil $150,462 for violations of air pollution regulations at the company’s refinery in Beaumont, Texas.

A statement issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality says the 15 violations include failure to limit emissions during refinery malfunctions, failure to repair and perform monitoring of equipment, recordkeeping failures and failure to install required equipment.

We can look at the state of Maryland, and find yet another example with this excerpt:

The State of Maryland has filed a suit seeking nearly $ 12 million in penalties from Exxon Mobil Corp and a local service station operator for a gasoline leak in Jacksonville area of Baltimore County. The suit accuses the giant corporation and the service station of violating state environmental regulations by allowing the leak and not detecting or reporting it promptly. State officials say that 62 residential wells are contaminated with methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE, a gasoline additive. In addition to the penalties, the state asks that Exxon and its operator clean up the gasoline that leaked.

In California, we find again that Exxon SKIRTS THE RULES, then simply pays the fines as a cost of doing business.

Exxon Mobil Corp. agreed to pay $400,000 in penalties to California for environmental violations at its Torrance refinery. Exxon Mobil also agreed to spend a maximum of $2 million on supplemental environmental projects intended to cut excessive emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants at the refinery. The company paid $250,000 for a March 22, 2007 incident that caused the release of nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and other substances. In addition, Exxon Mobil paid $150,000 to settle 23 air permit and air quality violations at the Torrance facility that occurred between October 2005 and October 2006.

If Exxon is doing business in your community, there is a very real likelihood that they are violating the environmental rules meant to protect your health, your water, your air. Yet, they are running commercials every day here in the Hudson River Valley trying to convince you that they and other companies like Chesapeake Energy (who has a very similar environmental record) know the importance of getting it right when it comes to FRACKING our neighborhoods, and they are spending MILLIONS lobbying here in New York, and in Washington DC to get access to the Natural Gas in the Marcellus Shale. Question is, when you look at the truth of these companies environmental records, can we really afford to let them bring FRACKING to our community?

Did you Feel the Earth Move?

Californians take most earthquakes for granted, but New Yorkers don't expect to feel their buildings shaking. At about 1:50PM today, several Main Street, Mountaindale residents felt a tremor that was related to the 5.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Virginia. The quake was 4 miles deep at its epicenter. Tremors were felt as far north as Bath, ME, and as far south as Hampstead, NC, with several Canadian reports as well.

For those locals who felt it, it was a very strange sensation. At 51 Main Street, the building shook and creaked a bit, but all the art & furniture stayed put. Things were different in the Washington/Virginia area where there was structural damage reported. In some cases, buildings were evacuated as a precaution and Amtrak had railway service disruptions. There was also an interruption in cell phone service in the New York City area, where traders in the New York Stock Exchange could also feel the tremors. Of a more serious concern are the nuclear power plants on the East Coast, which were reportedly shut down and listed as in safe condition.

For those who do not know it, Indian Point's reactors sit on a earthquake fault...in fact, if the reactors were seeking a new license today, instead of a license renewal, said license could not be issued. Meanwhile, both the NRC and Entergy assure us the general public that the chances of a earthquake occurring on this fault are highly unlikely...sort of like the unlikely chance today that the people in Virginia would experience a 5.8 on the Richter Scale quake. Perhaps now we can get the NRC to explain to us why they refuse to consider earthquakes in the re-licensing of the Indian Point reactors. Guess we need to wait until a natural disaster similar to the one that took out the TEPCO reactors in Japan before our regulatory folks are willing to look at this very real danger.

Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce First Friday Networking Breakfast

FIRST FRIDAY NETWORKING BREAKFAST

Friday, September 2, 2011
7:45am-9:00am

Sponsored by:

. Hosted by: Blue Horizon Diner
Route 42
Monticello, NY

Pre-registered members: $12
No pre-register members: $15
Non-members: $20

Please RSVP no later than:
Thursday, September 1, 2011 by noon.

Click here to register on our website or register on our Facebook event!

Contact Cathy at (845) 791-4200 ext. 302 or email chamber@catskills.com
for more information or to RSVP*!

*RSVP's on Facebook and website will be invoiced!

Girl Scout Leader CPR Training

It is well known that Girl Scout Leaders are selfless volunteers. However, did you also know that Scout Leaders are required to maintain their First Aid & CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)Certification and keep it constantly updated in order to have a Troop? The Adult Volunteers are responsible for the well being of the young women in their Troop and always need to be prepared for the unexpected during either a meeting, program or special activity.

Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson Leaders from Community 532, representing the Towns of Fallsburg, Monticello and Mamakating, meet each month at a leader's meeting in Mountaindale. One of the recent topics was whether the First Aid/CPR class could be presented right here in Mountaindale for the 5 hour course, rather than have each leader drive to Orange County for certification. Volunteer Community Chair Barb Schmitt was able to contact Council Staff who were all too eager to help. Adult Volunteer Development Manager, Kathie Cayton, devoted all day Sunday, August 21st. to teaching area leaders all the latest techniques in how to provide emergency care until EMS or paramedic staff can take over.

The leaders enjoyed interesting educational videos of various emergency situations, coupled with plenty of hands on experience in delivering CPR compressions; mouth to mouth resuscitation; and bandaging each other. An update in the course included a lot more emphasis on emergency use of an AED, or Automated External Defibrillator.

The Leaders always hope they will never be called upon to use these skills but stand ready 'just in case.' Girl Scouts also offers a Babysitting Certification Course for its young women, and this too, offers preparedness training for emergency situations as the Scouts begin to take on neighborhood babysitting jobs.

Zumba In Mountaindale..We Are Looking For Instructor

Currently, Mountaindale finds itself without a Zumba Fitness instructor. When Zumba was being taught on Monday nights, we saw an average attendance for the class running between 15-20 students on most weeks. We are looking to find a Zumba instructor that would like to offer this class here in town on a once a week basis. If you are a Zumba instructor, or might know of a Zumba instructor, please contact Barb at (845) 434-4747...we are hoping to resume the class right after Labor Day Weekend.

If you are interested in participating in a Zumba class here in Mountaindale, or are one of the students left in the lurch created with the departure of our Zumba instructor, and would like to know when classes begin again, please drop Barb an email at mountaindaleny@gmail.com

Mountaindale Rental of The Week-Available For IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY

Mountaindale is looking for some more residents...starting today, we will be featuring one of our downtown apartments each week. This weeks Rental of the Week is 63 Main Street Apt 2A and is available for immediate occupancy.

63 Main Street 2A - Charming, comfortable One Bedroom Apartment. Visit Our Rental Blog

This comfortable, cozy one bedroom apartment has all the extra amenities that make an apartment a home including a front porch, and a bonus room that makes for a perfect office space, or guest bedroom for those occasional overnight guests. Gas fired baseboard heat with thermostatic control lets you find your own perfect comfort zone. The full bath comes with tub/shower unit and linoleum floors. In addition to these amenities, this unit has a stunning back 10x20 deck with beautiful view of surrounding woodland area...great for summer entertaining. Your downstairs neighbor is a Yoga studio. At $660 a month, affordable luxury renting does not get any better than this. Please call us today to view this and other rentals available here in Mountaindale, NY.

For more information, or to make an appointment to see this or other rentals in downtown Mountaindale, please contact Barb at (845)434-4747.

Fall Is Time To Plant your Spring Bulbs

As much as we may not want to admit it, fall is fast approaching, and in our area that means the snow cannot be far behind. So, even though we have a bit of our summer still to enjoy, this is the time to start thinking about planting fall bulbs! A bit of work in the garden, or in your flower beds after the first frost will provide you beautiful blooms next spring, and for years to come, as bulbs are perennials that come back year after year, many of them multiplying with each successive year. Bulbs of all kinds from my own perspective give those of us who love flowers the biggest bang for the buck, as they bloom year after year, and tend to naturalize on their own over time.

A few Basic Tips

First Up-Annuals bloom only once, lasting one growing season. Perennials come back year after year, going dormant in the fall until the weather warms again the next spring.

Flowers bulbs are perennial. Drive down almost any country road in the spring time, see a large clump of daffodils or iris, and they were probably planted there decades ago.

Bulb Depth (general rule)-large bulbs 8 inches deep, and 6 inches apart, small bulbs 5 inches deep, 3 inches apart (all pointed ends up).

After planting a bulb bed add 2-3 inches of mulch to retain moisture as well as protect your bulbs.

When choosing bulbs, think about color, size of blooms when making your selections. Look for bulbs that are firm, clean, and free of mold.

Best time to plant your bulbs is after first frost.

Save a few bulbs for a winter touch of spring in your home by planting bulbs indoors! Growing bulbs indoors during our COLD winter is known as "forcing" them.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and start putting some thought into where you would like to plant some spring bulbs this fall.
Some of My Favorite Bulb Sites

Wayside Gardens (I LOVE LOVE LOVE their Iris!)

Spring Hill (Used to live not too far from this nursery which is located in Tipp City, Ohio.)

Eden Brothers (Some of the flowers in our Mountaindale Train Garden came from here.)

*Note-Mountaindale Community Development Project is planning on having a bulb planting day here in our hamlet, so stay tuned for more details.

Commemorating Sept 11 Tragedy

In just 22 days, we here in New York, our nation, will commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11 when terrorists hijacked four planes, two of them taking down the Twin Towers known as the World Trade Center towers. Most of us here in New York know someone that was in the towers, or who responded to the tragedy on that fateful day when America found itself under attack.

Thinking our small hamlet of Mountaindale should find a way to commemorate the day, honor those who lost their lives that day in the towers, at the Pentagon in Washington, DC and in a field in Pennsylvania. Below are the staggering facts by the numbers.

The initial numbers are indelible: 8:46 a.m. and 9:02 a.m. Time the burning towers stood: 56 minutes and 102 minutes. Time they took to fall: 12 seconds. From there, they ripple out.

• Total number killed in attacks (official figure as of 9/5/02): 2,819

• Number of firefighters and paramedics killed: 343

• Number of NYPD officers: 23

• Number of Port Authority police officers: 37

• Number of WTC companies that lost people: 60

• Number of employees who died in Tower One: 1,402

• Number of employees who died in Tower Two: 614

• Number of employees lost at Cantor Fitzgerald: 658

• Number of U.S. troops killed in Operation Enduring Freedom: 22

• Number of nations whose citizens were killed in attacks: 115

• Ratio of men to women who died: 3:1

• Age of the greatest number who died: between 35 and 39

• Bodies found "intact": 289

• Body parts found: 19,858

• Number of families who got no remains: 1,717

• Estimated units of blood donated to the New York Blood Center: 36,000

• Total units of donated blood actually used: 258

• Number of people who lost a spouse or partner in the attacks: 1,609

• Estimated number of children who lost a parent: 3,051

• Percentage of Americans who knew someone hurt or killed in the attacks: 20

• FDNY retirements, January–July 2001: 274

• FDNY retirements, January–July 2002: 661

• Number of firefighters on leave for respiratory problems by January 2002: 300

• Number of funerals attended by Rudy Giuliani in 2001: 200

• Number of FDNY vehicles destroyed: 98

• Tons of debris removed from site: 1,506,124

• Days fires continued to burn after the attack: 99

• Jobs lost in New York owing to the attacks: 146,100

• Days the New York Stock Exchange was closed: 6

• Point drop in the Dow Jones industrial average when the NYSE reopened: 684.81

• Days after 9/11 that the U.S. began bombing Afghanistan: 26

• Economic loss to New York in month following the attacks: $105 billion

• Estimated cost of cleanup: $600 million

• Total FEMA money spent on the emergency: $970 million

• Estimated amount donated to 9/11 charities: $1.4 billion

• Estimated amount of insurance paid worldwide related to 9/11: $40.2 billion

• Estimated amount of money needed to overhaul lower-Manhattan subways: $7.5 billion

• Amount of money recently granted by U.S. government to overhaul lower-Manhattan subways: $4.55 billion

• Estimated amount of money raised for funds dedicated to NYPD and FDNY families: $500 million

• Percentage of total charity money raised going to FDNY and NYPD families: 25

• Average benefit already received by each FDNY and NYPD widow: $1 million

• Percentage increase in law-school applications from 2001 to 2002: 17.9

• Percentage increase in Peace Corps applications from 2001 to 2002: 40

• Percentage increase in CIA applications from 2001 to 2002: 50

• Number of songs Clear Channel Radio considered "inappropriate" to play after 9/11: 150

• Number of mentions of 9/11 at the Oscars: 26

• Apartments in lower Manhattan eligible for asbestos cleanup: 30,000

• Number of apartments whose residents have requested cleanup and testing: 4,110

• Number of Americans who changed their 2001 holiday-travel plans from plane to train or car: 1.4 million

• Estimated number of New Yorkers suffering from post-traumatic-stress disorder as a result of 9/11: 422,000

Rough Weather Coming Our Way

Enjoy your Sunday morning...the National Weather forecast for this afternoon is not pretty. Look for heavy rails, perhaps some hail, and there is even a off chance of a tornado warning as a part of the mix. Chance of rain for the day is 70 percent.

Yard Art...Beautifying Your Garden With Junk...September Workshop

“Salvage Art for the Garden” Workshop

Where: CCE Sullivan County

When: 9-16-11 @6:00

Fee: $10.00

CCE Sullivan County will be offering a new workshop called “Salvage Art for the Garden” on September 16th at 6:00 at the Gerald J. Skoda Education Center at 64 Ferndale Loomis Rd, Liberty, NY. Just when you thought all the excitement in your garden was gone with the summer breezes, add some whimsy and interest to carry you through the fall season. Sharon Roll, a master gardener from Orange County will be the presenter at this workshop. She will be sharing many creative ideas for your fall garden and each participant will make and take a project to hang in their garden after this workshop.

The fee for the workshop is $10.00; which covers the instruction, materials and a chance to win a door prize. Pre-registration and payment are required before the class. Come, bring a friend and enjoy a unique evening at Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County.

For more information call Susan Dollard at 845-292-5250.

Learn How to Spin Wool THIS SATURDAY

Hosted by Gail Carbone, owner of Will-O-Wool Sheep Farm
Guest appearance by Meg the ewe

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Catskill Harvest Garden Center

12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

We launched the "Catskill Harvest Presents..." summer event series to share what we consider the best of Sullivan County. This Saturday, we'll introduce you to Gail Carbone, owner of Will-O-Wool Sheep Farm in Callicoon, who will host a live wool spinning demo.

Even if sweater & scarf weather isn't here yet, you'll know who to call when the time arrives.

Along with the live spinning demo, you don't want to miss the special guest appearance by Meg, Gail's five-year-old Border Leicester ewe. Bring the kids!

What is Spinning, Anyway?

No, we're not talking about the indoor cycling classes at local health clubs.

Spinning is an ancient textile art in which plant, animal or synthetic fibers are twisted together to form yarn. For thousands of years, fiber was spun by hand using simple tools: the spindle and the distaff. Only in the Middle Ages did the spinning wheel increase the output of spinners.

Hand-spinning remains a popular handicraft. And for people like Gail, spinning & running the Will-O-Wool Sheep Farm is a way of life.

Stop by the Market this Saturday to meet Gail & Meg, and get a better understanding of both the dedication and talent that goes into creating wool.