News

Who would have imagined any connection between a southern African country, where life expectancy is just 34 years, and the lush mountains of New York? But over the past three years, Hobart resident Dennis Gaboury has been building links between our community and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city. He has accomplished this by founding ZimKids, a project that helps feed, clothe and educate Bulawayo’s orphans, encourages their creativity and teaches them about the dignity of work.

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) will again allow bow hunting for deer on limited areas of the Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project. One hundred permits, issued in a random lottery drawing, will be provided for use during the bow hunting season: October 18 through December 16.

Kirkside Island will be the site of a 10 a.m. outdoor worship service on Sunday, Aug. 31. The Roxbury United Methodist Church and the Jay Gould Memorial Reformed Church are sponsoring the service as a kickoff for Roxbury’s Turn of the Century events. Music will be supplied by the Roxbury Brass and the choir will share a special anthem.

Chace-Randall Gallery in Andes celebrates the publication of Inverna Lockpez’s new book, The Noble Barn on Sunday, Aug. 31 from 5 to 7 p.m. Ms. Lockpez will be signing books throughout the reception. Inverna Lockpez’s evocative portraits of Catskill barns reveal an integral part of our collective consciousness. Lockpez has chosen essayists whose writings combine a plea for historic preservation, poignant local history, and hope for the future of a diminished agricultural community.

Get ready to do-si-do your partner down at the Bovina Community Hall this Friday, Aug. 29 6:30 p.m. Wes St. Onge will be calling the dances for dancers of all ages and level of experience. Wes will be joined by musicians Kathy Shimberg and Ira McIntosh. Families are strongly encouraged to attend.

The Slow Food Catskills convivium will be hosting a canning workshop on Sunday, Sept. 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Delaware County Historical Association grounds. Entitled “Putting It Up - Preserving the Harvest,” this workshop will educate people on how to preserve food grown from their gardens or from local farms so that it can be enjoyed during the winter months.

A free guided hike, led by members of Frost Valley YMCA’s Natural Resources Department, is planned for Saturday, Aug. 30 at 1 p.m. in Claryville. The Labor Day weekend venture is the first in a series of monthly hikes offered by Frost Valley. Staff will lead hikers on a moderate 2.5-mile hike that will feature a slight elevation gain. The outing will include stops at Frost Valley’s 40-foot waterfall and Sunrise Lookout, which features stunning views of Slide and Wildcat mountains.

The public is invited to attend an outdoor meeting of the Central Catskill Collaborative at Davis Park in Olive on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. This month’s guest speaker will be Dennis Doyle, director of the Ulster County Planning Board and Transportation Council. Doyle will discuss the various plans, options, and supporting resources for the continued development of the Ulster and Delaware rail corridor.

Roxbury’s maple-lined Main Street is a living showcase of 19th-century architecture, with the entire hamlet on the State and National Register of Historic Places. On Saturday, Aug. 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., owners of some of Roxbury’s finest grand dames will graciously open their doors in a “once-a-year opportunity” to take a leisurely tour inside. Student docents will explain how these homes and their features reflected 19th-century life in this Catskills hamlet.

There’s no better way to spend a lovely summer evening than on the Delaware & Ulster Railroad listening to great music as you roll along beside the East Branch of the Delaware River. On Saturday, Aug. 30, the Blues Maneuver will take to the rails on the historic D&URR from 6 to 8:30 p.m. for a slow moving scenic train ride that everyone will enjoy.