As the weather cools, most of us put thoughts of our gardens on a back burner, yet the Narrowsburg Beautification Group (NBG) has been meeting to decide on its 2015 grant request from Sullivan Renaissance. An early application process, which they hope to make, specifies an October 15 deadline. You will recall the NBG won the Showing of Flowers award of $5,000 and they received completion funding for 2014, together totaling $5,250. Now that is a great start for next year.

A variety of grant options are available ranging from projects of a single element, Category A; multi-elements, Category B; and community-wide Projects, Category C. As the scope of the project increases, so does the category and so does the amount of funding awarded. The trick is to pick a project that will have a positive effect on the environment of our Town of Tusten, identify the initial work required and, with any luck, not need too much maintenance in the future. As in most organizations, it is a few people who do all the work. The NBG has been awarded funding for projects for 14 years. Now that’s a lot of projects for a small group to maintain. If you wish to join this award-winning group of dedicated individuals who beautify our town, please call 845/252-3864.

Now for a change of subject and a question: Have you bought your tickets for the Big Eddy Film Festival? Feature-length films begin on Friday night, September 19 with continuing feature-length and documentary films on Saturday and Sunday. Films range from comedy, like “Goodbye to All That,” to “Alive Inside,” a stirring documentary that follows social worker Dan Cohen as he fights against a broken healthcare system to demonstrate music’s ability to combat memory loss and restore a deep sense of self to those suffering from it. If that is too serious a subject, try “Animated Tales, Shorts for Kids.” This weekend there is something for everyone, right here at the Tusten Theater. See you there.