As I count the days in anticipation of making s’mores and basking in the warmth of the sun, I’m reminded that many of the events springing up in the near future have been (or are) in the planning stages months in advance. “What? Already?” I moaned, while reading an email. “Oy.” The alert in question was a reminder of a meeting scheduled for last Saturday, and that the location had been moved to “accommodate a larger seating area” due to overwhelming response. “Here we go again” I whined to the dog. “Sheesh! There’s still snow on the ground!”

Cocking her head in my general direction, Dharma reminded me of our latest calamity (no brakes) and suggested that I find transportation to the meeting, rather than taking a joyride on slippery roads. Sighing audibly, I picked up the phone and made arrangements to borrow a car (got an extra one lying/laying around?) and made our way to the Duggan School in White Lake to find out what lies (lays?) ahead. The event (www.Facebook.com/Kauneonga-Block-Party) is months away—June 18, to be precise, and as I marked it on the appropriate page, I noted that it once again coincided with Father’s Day.

Taking my seat with many familiar faces, I jotted down some notes and raised my hand. “Please hold your questions, Jonathan,” came a disembodied voice from the back of the room. “Otherwise, we’ll never get through this portion of the meeting,” the invisible advice continued. Apparently my penchant for run-on sentences precedes me. Sheesh.

As I (quietly) listened in, I was reminded of the intricacies of minutia that go into planning an event, large or small. “First order of business,” I scribbled on my pad, “learn how to spell ‘Kauneonga.’” Living in close proximity to what is now referred to as “restaurant row,” I think I’ve mastered this task, but my “smart” phone is still an idiot when it comes to spelling local town names, and I’m forced to double-check from time to time. The commemorative T-shirt from last year’s über-succesful community-wide celebration addressed the question, “Where the heck is Kauneonga Lake?” and I made a note to suggest that this year’s shirt continue the theme with another question. After all, I can’t be the only one, can I? Hmmm.

During “season” the Upper Delaware River region hosts many outdoor events, including (but not limited to) block parties, parades and concerts, but last June was the first event of this magnitude for Kauneonga. “We have a lot to live up to,” moderator Moreen Lerner shared with the crowd. “Last year’s event was such an incredible success, and we have to build on that with a party that is even bigger, even better, and attracts even more folks to our incredible locale.”

Nodding (silently) in agreement, I made more notes. Unable to squelch my enthusiasm, I blurted my question aloud. “Father’s Day?” I whined. “Again? Is that a good idea?” Neighbor, friend and businesswoman extraordinaire (IMHO) Judith Maidenbaum spoke up (thank you, Judy!) and added her thoughts. “I thought the same thing last year,” Judy said, “and expressed my concern about the date at that time. But I want to go on record and admit that I was wrong.”

Following the collective (and audible) gasp (neither Judy nor I are big on being wrong) from the crowd, I whipped out the camera to photograph the moment. “For posterity,” I teased. “Might never happen again.” Maidenbaum (Kauneonga’s Fat Lady Café) laughed in agreement, sharing the sentiment. Initially, several of us expressed concern that holding the event on Father’s Day would keep families away, but we discovered that the block party gave children (young and old) a destination for their celebrations and traditional brunch, drawing thousands to the fun-filled streets where entertainment, art, food, vendors (and even a petting zoo) added to the attraction of the lake itself, making for a fantastic day.

How does it all happen, you ask? Permits, funding, signage, music, parking, traffic, police assistance, fire department, trash pickup… the list goes on and on and applies for all of the events that we sometimes take for granted. Before heading out to a book signing in Hurleyville (read all about it in next week’s edition of the award-winning River Reporter—hint: it relates to Valentine’s Day), I furiously scrawled more notes in my illegible penmanship, reminded that “it takes a village” to support these amazing events which, if done right, appear to just magically spring up in the streets of our amazingly creative communities.

Have a product you wish to promote? Want your band to perform? Have a desire to volunteer and help out? There are coming attractions being planned right now! To be a part of this one, write to Kauneongablockparty@gmail.com. But be sure to spell it correctly!

[Editor’s note: “lie” is always correct when the verb is intransitive, that is, does not take an object, as is the case in all instances in this column. Pet peeve of the humorless copy editor.]