NARROWSBURG, NY — Whenever a visitor comes into the office of the River Reporter, I point out the raised wooden lip on the floor.

“This lip is here because there is a slab of concrete that goes straight down to the basement. It’s where the original letterpress press stood.” I explain that the wooden floor beams would not have been strong enough to hold the heavy press.

It adds to the ambience of the open 28-foot-by-42-foot room, whose original waincotting paneling is interrupted by some 21 windows. On the banks of Little Lake Erie, the room has a comfortable vibe, as if it knows that its reason to be is to hold previous community stories.

The building was the home of the original Delaware News Times, which moved its publication out of the Delaware Publications building in Narrowsburg to the Hawley News building in Hawley. John Dyson, publisher of the Hawley Eagle, had purchased the Narrowsburg “news” in 1974. While he tried to keep both papers independent, he had a serious accident while traveling back to Hawley one night after a long day of publishing. He knew then he had to combine the two.

But Narrowsburg foremothers and forefathers were not happy. Narrowsburg had always had a paper. It was a paper the community was proud of. They began to meet around a kitchen table to strategize starting a new one.

At the same time, Tom DeGaetani, the first managing director of Lincoln Center, after suffering a heart attack at the age of 49, followed his doctor’s advice and moved to his A-frame on Crawford Road, intending to start a bait business. Narrowsburg was presenting a community play for the nation’s bicentennial, and Tom found his way to Narrowsburg School gym and the group of people—Beth Peck, Dottie Lehr, Bob Rasmussen, Kathryn Hawker, John Pavese and Theresa Fuchs—who were organizing around the lost paper. Tom, whose ultimate aim was to start an arts service organization, along with Elaine Giguere, published the first edition of The River Reporter on December 3, 1975. They then started the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance in 1976. 

Unfortunately, Tom did not change his lifestyle, working feverishly and tirelessly, and died of a heart attack on February 10, 1978. 

From the beginning, the River Reporter’s story has been about documenting important milestones that inform our community life, great accomplishments, as well as small and important details that inform decision-making, and the ties that connect us as people of the Upper Delaware River Valley.

It celebrated its 50-year milestone of the first edition on December 3, 2025 with an open house.

We appreciate all who came to recognize this amazing feat of independent journalism that has flourished in Narrowsburg for as long as anyone can remember.