‘Inspirations of the Season’

Bid for our Celebrations cover artwork and benefit a local charity

This week’s cover for Celebrations, our holiday leisure supplement, is the first of six works of art by area artists commissioned by The River Reporter for the holidays. The works will be part of an exhibit, “Inspirations of the Season,” at Narrowsburg Roasters on Main Street in Narrowsburg, NY, and will be sold via silent auction, with bids accepted throughout the holiday season and the proceeds to go to the local charity of the artists’ choice. Every week from now through December 27, a new work will appear on the cover of Celebrations, and be added to the exhibit at Roasters. Celebrations will also feature a story on the artist, like this week’s story on David Soete, the inaugural artist, on this page.

You may bid on the artworks at Roasters, located at 17 Main Street, by filling in your name, phone number and email if available, and the amount of your bid on bid sheets provided at the store. You may also bid by calling Roasters at 845/252-6688. The auction will close at the end of business on Friday, January 4, 2008. Winners will be contacted by phone.

Other artists to be exhibited over this holiday season are Amy Long, Jim McGinley, Jill Wiener, Helena Clare Pittman and a teen from Port Jervis to be selected by contest.

To learn more about the artists, their work and the charities that have touched their hearts, see the Celebrations section of The River Reporter every Thursday from Thanksgiving through December 27.

David B. Soete

A native son captures our region through the lens of his life

By SANDY LONG

sandylong@riverreporter.com

HONESDALE, PA — When Dave Soete’s mother gave him a small camera for a trip to the World’s Fair in Flushing, NY in 1964, she likely had little idea what she had set in motion. Soete was nine at the time, and took so many photos requiring costly processing that the camera seemed to mysteriously disappear after that. “I still have the camera someplace,” Soete noted.

Years later while in college, Soete resumed his love of photography with a standard 35 mm camera given to him by his aunt, but today, he works mostly with digital equipment. True to his nature, Soete spends countless hours behind his camera and has amassed thousands of images of the Upper Delaware region.

Now it’s not unusual for Soete to snap 300 shots on his half-hour lunch walks around Narrowsburg. “I could spend a lifetime going through them,” he laughed. “It’ll probably be my retirement job.”

A generous soul, Soete has shared those images with many non-profit organizations and regional publications, and offers archival prints for sale locally at Nicolina’s gift boutique on Narrowsburg’s Main Street.

The artful photographer’s favorite subject is nature, and the wilds of the Upper Delaware provide him with an abundance of opportunities to capture the wildlife and breathtaking scenery that the region is noted for. He also enjoys rambling around the area capturing images of community, rustic farms and houses that depict the glory of days gone by. “It’s getting harder and harder to find old barns,” Soete lamented. “I try to preserve a moment in time.”

Born and raised in Honesdale and now a resident of Dyberry Township, Soete has seen many of the farms and forests in the region developed over his lifetime. “I always liked being out in nature,” he said. “But many of the places I used to hang out as a kid are now unavailable.”

For such reasons, Soete selected the Delaware Highlands Conservancy (DHC) to receive the proceeds from bids placed upon his photograph. The DHC is a land trust working to conserve the forests, farms and waters of the Upper Delaware Region and has managed to protect nearly 10,000 acres since its founding in 1994. The DHC also provides community environmental education aimed at preserving the region’s natural and cultural heritage.

“It’s a great way for private property owners to protect their land for future generations and avoid the problems associated with over-development,” said Soete. “And it’s an important tool for protecting critical habitat for the animals that live here.”

Soete earned a degree in forest science at Penn State University, spent a 12-year stint working for the Wayne County Planning Department and since 1989 has been employed as the Upper Delaware Council’s Senior Resource Specialist in Narrowsburg, NY.

Soete cherishes what photography gives to him—the freedom to roam and the opportunity to be out there, taking it all in. “The natural world is so beautiful,” he said. “I rarely have a bad moment in nature.”

His magical photo, “Christmas Spirit” is a nod to the seasonal beauty of the Honesdale community. The scene was shot at Honesdale’s Central Park, not far from where Dick Smith, co-composer of the holiday classic, “Winter Wonderland,” lived in a home on Church Street. With a mischievous sense of the season, Soete pointed out, “You can get the Christmas Spirit by visiting Narrowsburg, stopping by Roasters and placing a bid.”

Soete may be reached by email at dbs1@ptd.net.