She made you feel at home

To the editor:

I was new to the paper when I was asked to cover the proofreading desk for a few weeks in the summer. Jean Kerrigan was one of the people who made me feel at home. She had read my column and she had an opinion. She liked it. I was glad and I could tell by what she said that she was a discerning reader.

After my first week at the copy desk, Jean told me I was “an asset to the workplace.” Her words, carefully chosen and not effusive, were a great salve to me as I was finding my way in these new environs. Later we talked about the city—she had loved working at McGraw-Hill, loved traveling with her friends, seeing new worlds and always loved coming back to this one. She read widely and was a welcoming friend at every cultural event in the river valley, usually greeting you at the door with a book of raffle tickets in her hand.

She loved hearing about my daughter, always asking about her singing, college life, etc. If I wrote something sad, she noticed and wished me well.

Jean made me think it wouldn’t have been a bad thing to have lived another kind of life, without a husband or children, with a whole community of friends and important work to do every day. I miss her and expect I always will.

Thanks for the tribute

To the editor:

A great big thank you for the beautiful and fitting tribute to Jean Kerrigan by Laurie Stuart in The River Reporter.

You managed to capture the very essence of Jean and put into words the qualities that made “Auntie” Jean so special to so many of us.

It was my privilege to have known her, and I, like you, will miss her dearly.

Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop: check it out

To the editor:

I recently had the pleasure of seeing the Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop’s production of Sullivan County’s own “The Third Violet,” and I want to encourage our local residents and summer visitors to check out the wonderful productions this company presents throughout the summer season.

“The Third Violet” was adapted for the stage in 1995 by local artists Mitchell Usher and Roy Singer from a novella written by local author Stephen Crane (of “Red Badge of Courage” fame) and, now under the direction of Lori Schneider-Wendt, the show does a wonderfully accurate job of depicting life and love in Sullivan County in 1895. Partially sponsored by the 2009 Sullivan County Bicentennial Celebration, “The Third Violet” is an important perspective on our history that should not be missed!

And for those who say there’s nothing to do here, this group has several upcoming performances lasting through the fall. Up next, this talented local theatre group is presenting “A Marriage of Convenience” from August 20 to 30, “Agnes of God” from September 11 to 27 and “The Children’s Hour” from October 16 to 25. For more information, the Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop can be reached at 845/436-5336.