Goodbye, July!

JONATHAN CHARLES FOX
Posted 8/2/17

Wow, man. Between the never-ending rain and the plethora of events in the Upper Delaware River region, July has come and gone. Since many of us feel cooped up during winter, it seems to drag on, but …

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Goodbye, July!

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Wow, man. Between the never-ending rain and the plethora of events in the Upper Delaware River region, July has come and gone. Since many of us feel cooped up during winter, it seems to drag on, but summer (don’t get me started on autumn!) appears to fly by at supersonic speed, which undoubtedly gave birth to the phrases “make hay while the sun shines” and “stop to smell the roses”—both of which make sense. It’s practicing those things that becomes a challenge, as I often feel as if I’m running at breakneck speed in my attempt to do it all. “Just breathe,” my therapist (uh huh) suggests, as I whine about time marching on far too swiftly. “And stop smoking,” he admonishes. “That would help.”

Prior to attending last Saturday’s Callicoon Country Fair (www.fairsandfestivals.net), I popped into the Duggan School on Kauneonga Lake to participate in a monthly Bethel Council of the Arts (BCA) meeting. Still in its infancy, the organization is building and expanding on their mission to “foster artistic expression and the economic growth of our diverse community… advocating for arts and culture.” As usual, I spoke too much, adding my two cents here and there, excited to hear about the plans for the future and wanting to help in any way they see fit. Dharma took notes and reminded me that they are building a website and have a strong Facebook presence. With a couple of highly successful events already under their belt, the future looks bright. Among other things, there is an artist’s studio tour in the works and the organization is encouraging interested parties to make contact at BCA@bethelart.com.

The country fair was fun, and recalling the sage advice of my shrink, I stopped (momentarily, of course) to snap some pics, schmooze with vendors and listen to music, which included rotating bands playing throughout the day. It was a gorgeous (rain-free) day, and Callicoon was hopping, which is always nice to see. Spotting something new, I ambled into Gallery 35, owned and operated by Johanna Spoerri, whose mother Margo is well known in the region, and across the globe, as an accomplished artist herself. “I’m so lucky to know very talented people and feel honored that so many of them want to fill the walls here with art,” Johanna told me. “We opened in July and one of my goals is to make art available to everyone, so we offer a wide range of affordable pieces to the community.” Undoubtedly, Johanna and Gallery 35 will be welcomed with open arms.

On our way home, Dharma whined (wonder where she picked that up), barked, and pawed at me as we passed Big Kev’s BBQ on 17B, which reminded me that they had just been named “Upstate New York’s Best Roadside BBQ” in a heated online contest sponsored by www.NY.com.

“Brisket does sound good,” I said to the dog, not to mention the pulled pork, cornbread, chicken and fixin’s that make brothers Kev and Donovan stand out from the crowd. Born and raised in Sullivan County, Donovan knew at an early age that cooking was in his blood and attended the Culinary Institute of Colorado, while Kev was teaching skiing and snowboarding at Holiday Mountain. But when both were spectators at a Kansas City Barbecue Society (www.kcbs.edu) competition, the guys were immediately hooked.

“We thought it was cool,” Kev said during a quick conversation at the new and improved site on Royce Road in Bethel. “So we took a judging class through KCBS and decided to give it a go. Of course, we have family here, so it seemed like a good place to set up business. We feel lucky to have been named ‘Peoples Choice’ two years in a row at the Roscoe Brewery [www.roscoebeercompany.com] Cook-Off, and the latest commendation? Wow.” Nodding in agreement, Donavan joined the conversation. “While Kev is good at a million things, he is the proverbial ‘Jack of all trades and a master of none,” he said with a laugh. “I was working at Friends pub [in Smallwood] by 14, and worked with BOCES, too. It’s the only interest I ever had, and as a result,” he said with a wink, “I’m the master of one: barbeque.”

The brothers work hard and (IMHO) are the best at what they do. “A couple of hundred pounds of brisket a week,” Kev said, “...and a few hundred more of pork,” Donovan interjected, “along with 200 racks of ribs, 60 chickens (more or less) and don’t forget, we’re cooking up breakfast now (from 5:30 ‘til 11 a.m.), Tuesday to Saturday, so swing by for that!”

The guys literally sell out every day and are sometimes on the road competing and catering, so check out www.bigkevsbbq.com for up-to-date info and secrets to securing your order ahead of time. Sure they’ll be there during August and beyond, but say goodbye to July. The fat lady has sung.

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