February 2013
Tricky tray
The Business and Professional Women's Club of Port Jervis will host the 12th annual "Stars Of Tomorrow" Tricky Tray at the Port Jervis High School, doors open at noon with calling at 2pm. No admission fee, tickets $1 per sheet. Proceeds are used to award scholarships. 845/858-7898.
Email this pageWinter Wednesdays music series at The Columns
The trio of Jane Mangini, Terri Dixon and Sandy Bookie will perform in The Foundation Room at The Columns Museum, 7pm. Tickets: $30, includes wine and cheese reception. RSVP: 570/296-8126.
71-year-old Honesdale man arrested for murder
On February 6, 2013 the Wayne County District Attorney Janine Edwards and the Pennsylvania State Police announced the charging and arrest of Robert Jufer, age71, for the murder of his wife, June Jufer. Read more
The fifth bridge at the ‘narrows’
The first bridge to cross the Delaware River at Narrowsburg, NY was a toll bridge built in 1832. Ice reportedly took out this bridge, which was followed by construction of another in 1846, only to see it washed out in a flood. The third bridge at the narrows was a covered bridge, built in 1848, and it lasted more than 50 years.
In 1899, the first metal bridge was built. It was made of iron and lasted until the present metal bridge with its steel arches and metal grate was built in 1953.
A number of present-day residents remember the old iron bridge. Read more
Winter gardens
The month of January saw mostly cold temperatures through to the last few days of the month, when unseasonably mild weather arrived. During the cold weeks, snow covered the ground and it got cold enough to freeze over lakes and much of the Delaware River. Much time was spent checking out bobcat and coyote tracks in the snow, or observing frozen waterfalls and seeps from rock outcrops. Not much thought was given to plant life, but that changed during one hike when I visited a few of these places where water flows. Read more
Fly fishermen get ready for 2013 season
LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — The Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum will hold its first event of the 2013 season with Fly Fest on February 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1031 Old Rte. 17. Fifty fly tyers will show off their skills with a day of feather bending, clipping and swapping flies. From novices to experienced casters, everyone is invited to share ideas and improve their tying skills. Fly Fest, which is sponsored by Catskill Flies, is a sure sign that opening day of trout season is about six weeks away. Read more
Guided snowshoe hike at Varden
LAKE ARIEL, PA — Join volunteers from the Upper Delaware Nordic Ski Patrol to get out in the snow and search for signs of wildlife activity in winter at the Varden Conservation Area on Sunday, February 10 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Meet at Mid-Valley Access. Read more
Snowshoe hike and wine tasting at Bashakill
WURTSBORO, NY — Join the Delaware Highlands Conservancy for a snowshoe hike at the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area on Saturday, February 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., with a wine tasting following the hike.
Learn about the ecology, culture and history of the area with Melinda Meddaugh, land protection coordinator for the conservancy, and Mike Medley, president of the Bashakill Area Association. The lands and waters of the Bashakill are home to a great variety of plants and wildlife, including eagles. Read more
Wheel of fortune
SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — People often seek to understand why things happen the way they do in all areas of life, including sports. The answer may be found among three distinct theories that seek to explain the strange mixture of uplifting and disappointing outcomes. The first points to fate: that everything is pre-ordained and we are merely acting out a script that was already transcribed. To accept this bleak, deterministic view of things implies we are not really in control. Ergo some teams are just “fated” to win, while others are destined to lose. Read more
Soul food
Living on a restricted diet is annoying. One would think that I’d be accustomed to it by now, since it’s been almost two decades of reading labels, asking the right questions and following rules, but still, I have my moments. Seeking a simpler, less stressful way of life, I moved to the Catskills. I’m unsure what effect I thought this change would have on my intestinal tract, but my gut instinct directed me toward the Upper Delaware Valley, and lo and behold, my health has improved. Read more
