Arkville

By Brian Sweeney
Environmentalist Robert Kennedy Jr. has agreed to co-chair a leadership chair for the capital campaign for the proposed Water Discovery Center in Arkville.
Organizers of the Water Discovery Center (WDC) planned for Arkville are hoping to involve a number of heavy-hitters to assist with their fund-raising efforts for the $25 million project. Mr. Kennedy is the first big name to come on board. He is an environmental lawyer and a professor at Pace University Law School.

Arkville — The Erpf Gallery and The Catskill Center kick off their 2009 gallery season on March 7 from 3-5 p.m. with an opening reception for Professor Robert Titus’ exhibit, “Moments in Time; Moments in Rock.”

By Julia Green
Locals knew it as PJ’s Pizza, but there’s a brand new establishment in place in Arkville. Donatello’s Pizzeria opened in the former location of PJ’s Friday, according to owner Donald Engelhardt.

The Arkville Fire Department recently published its 2008 annual report, which stated that the department responded to a total of 70 fire and emergency calls over the course of the year.

By Brian Sweeney
A longtime Arkville business is expanding its offerings thanks to the introduction of two new partners in the operation.
Maine Black Bear has been run by Bruce Beddoe for more than 27 years. The business traces its origins to Bruce traveling to Maine to pick up (Bruce lived in Maine and came here on the weekends with his truck to sell) fresh seafood and selling it from his truck along Route 28. A few years later, he officially opened a seafood market in a small building near the Dry Brook Bridge.

 Arkville — The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development and the Erpf Gallery have kicked off the 12th-year of their Platte Clove Artists-in-Residence Program with a call for applications.

By Matthew J. Perry
An archeological survey conducted last November on the proposed site of the Catskill Recreation Center, on county Route 38 in Arkville, may have unearthed native American Indian artifacts and has put those plans on temporary hold.

Arkville — The overwhelming majority of Catskill Mountain residents live or work near one of the dozens of streams that flow through the region. And yet very little attention is paid to the dynamic life of the areas adjacent to streams, known as riparian zones.
On Saturday, Dec. 13 from 1 to 3 p.m., The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development is hosting a workshop led by Jenn Grieser of the NYC DEP entitled “Living in the Riparian Zone.”

By Julia Green
The Middletown Town Board held a second public meeting Monday night to discuss the proposed Arkville Water District upgrade. The majority of concerns raised by those in attendance revolved around the ultimate cost to taxpayers living in the water district, while there were virtually no arguments raised as to the necessity of the upgrades to the system.

What do the Pakatakan Golf Course, the Knights of Pythias and Milton Berle have in common? Arkville!
An exhibit on view at the Middletown Town Hall through the end of December includes photos and memorabilia of Arkville as it used to be, from the golf course that stretched along Route 28, to the Pakatakan Lodge, Knights of Pythias #321 based in Arkville, to the famed entertainer who performed at Todd’s Hall (now Casey Joe’s) at the Crossroads in Arkville in 1936.