Features

Margaretville — Mountainside Residential Care Center, an 82-bed skilled nursing facility, is marking its 15th anniversary.
Mountainside (MRCC) had its origins as part of a skilled nursing facility housed within the Margaretville Hospital, but the need for greater nursing home capacity was soon apparent. Plans for a separate facility were developed and in 1994 Mountainside was opened adjacent to the hospital.

By Brian Sweeney
Ed Roberts Jr. got his first taste of auctioneering at the age of eight. During the following decades he spent a good deal of time assisting with Roberts’ Auction, which was owned by his parents, Sandy and Ed Roberts Sr.
While he helped out with the Fleischmanns-based business, Ed’s primary occupation was contracting. He later added the installation of overhead doors as a specialty. Like many physically demanding careers, the work took a toll on Ed.

By Julia Green
When Highway Contract Mail Carrier Bud Searles arrived at the Arkville Post Office Tuesday morning, postmaster Brenda Finch-Hasay was waiting to bid him farewell.
When he arrived at the Margaretville Post Office, a group of five postal employees was waiting with a card and offers of freshly-brewed coffee. In Halcottsville, postmaster Lori Camillone leaned over the railing to give him a hug and a parting gift. In Roxbury, a local resident stopped by the post office to wish him luck, and the owner of Fane’s Family Deli gives him a cup of coffee on the house.
Tuesday marked Searles’ last day as a mail carrier after driving the Kingston to Roxbury mail route for 46 years – and the responses from the postal employees in Arkville, Margaretville, Halcottsville and Roxbury left no doubt that he’s leaving behind some pretty big shoes to fill.

By Julia Green
The three-and-a-half thousand pet owners who used to take their furry family members to Crossroads Animal Hospital along Route 28 in Arkville will be thrilled to learn that the practice is reopening its doors after a yearlong hiatus.
“We are officially open and the hospital is doing 100 percent of its posted hours,” said Dr. Kevin Oppenheimer.

By Julia Green
Just in time for summer, local residents and weekend visitors in Roxbury have a new location to check out for lunch or dinner.
Long Island native Gabriel Cardamone is the new proprietor of The Stone House Restaurant at Shephard Hills, in the location of the former Mary’s Cookin’ Again at Shephard Hills.

By Joanie Merwin
Yes, even cemeteries die; sooner or later all things come to an end. Just as life within a human body deteriorates and eventually dies, ironically so does the final resting place of many humans. That is exactly what is happening to the Clovesville Cemetery – it’s dying and help is needed.

Claryville —   Climbing towers and giant swings raised the bar on leadership and teambuilding skills for 56 Roxbury Day School seventh- and eighth-graders during a recent trip to Frost Valley YMCA camp in Claryville. During the one-day program, students conquered challenges such as scaling a 20-foot climbing wall, completing a ropes course and testing their composure on the Giant Swing in an effort to hone their cooperative skills in a relaxed setting.

Cedric and Curtis Taylor, sons of Ken and Amy Taylor, Margaretville, joined other members of the Little Delaware Youth Ensemble in presenting their spring concert, Sunday, June 7, at Anderson Theatre, Hartwick College. This was their fourth and final public appearance for the 2008-09 school year. The quality of the concert was a testament to the dedication and talent of the ensemble members and a tribute to the parents and supporters who made it possible.

Andes — Chace-Randall Gallery presents “Perspectives,” new paintings by Christie Scheele opening June 12 and hanging until July 12. A reception for the artist will be held Saturday, June 20 from 5 to 7 p.m.
A landscape painter whose primary influences are Mark Rothko and Louise Nevelson, Christie Scheele is best known for her minimalist composition of strong interlocking shapes and the silky surfaces she achieves by layering delicate coats of oil paint on linen.

By Julia Green
Ben Stiller’s latest museum installment, “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” hit theaters on May 22, but some local schoolchildren enjoyed their own take on the concept last Wednesday.
Arkville Head Start students participated in “Family Night at the Museum” Wednesday morning at the Arkville Firehall. The event incorporated “Picturing America,” an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities that offers a set of 40 high-quality, color reproductions of American art that range from paintings, sculpture, photographs and architecture to book arts, decorative arts and fine crafts.