bovina community newsletter · bovina community newsletter pastoral prattling by judi gage spring...

BOVINA COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

Pastoral Prattling by Judi Gage

Spring is here! How blessed we are to live in

a place where the beauty of nature is so fully

displayed. To the High School Seniors of 2011:

you approach this time of year with so much on

your minds. School is closing for the summer.

Many of you are looking forward as usual to

summer vacation, the end of homework assign-

ments, reports and tests and getting up early.

But for you seniors, the end of this semester is

the end of your high school career! This is a

right of passage that marks the end of a signifi-

cant time in your life. You are now living it, an

ending and a beginning all at the same time.

The next couple of weeks will be filled with

celebrations, congratulations and ceremonies.

But by the end of the summer, your celebra-

tions will become bitter sweet, with laughs and

promises to stay in touch, the exchanging of

addresses and goodbyes and tears as you forge

ahead toward the lives you are beginning to

build. A new life opens, as you say goodbye

to one that nurtured you.

Eugene Peterson says this of Romans 8:12-

17 in his paraphrase The Message: ―We don’t

owe this old, do- it- yourself life one red cent

there is nothing in it for us – nothing at all, the

best thing we can do is give it a decent burial

and get on with your new life. God’s spirit

beckons. There are things to do and places to

go! This resurrection life you received from

God is not a timid grave-tending life. Its’ ad-

venturously expectant, greeting God with a

childlike, ―What’s next Papa?’ God’ s Spirit

touches our spirits and confirms who we really

are.‖

So congratulations to you! Relish these

graduation moments. Our hats are off to 2011

graduates: Congratulations to Bovina’s high

school graduates: Sarah Burns, Mary Hetterich,

Tallulah Guadagnino, Marlee Condon and Vir-

ginia Perez

Honor these moments and the life you knew

– but honor God with a life that’s new! Be

safe and may God bless you as you make

choices for your lives!

Update from April 2011 newsletter

1) Ugly Quilts are on hold until fall. The

group was able to produce 13 sleeping bags

for those with out adequate housing. It is ex-

pected that efforts will resume again in Fall.

Those interested can contact Christine Batey at

832-4859 or Francis Burns 832-4466 for more

information. This year we have delivered bags

to Delaware Opportunities in Hamden and The

Salvation Army in Oneonta.

2) You are invited! Senior Citizens are meet-

ing again regularly the second Monday of the

Month at 12 noon for fellowship and various

activities. Please bring a dish to pass. Con-

tact Janet Stewart in the Post Office with any

questions.

3) The Food Bank housed at Andes Presbyte-

rian Church is open on Tuesdays from 11 am

– 1 pm and Fridays 4-7 pm. If there are any

volunteers who would be willing to work at the

Food Bank please call pastor Judi at 832-4490.

Many Thanks for the donations of food re-

ceived in May.

Donations of Food for the food bank can hap-

pen a number of ways 1) drop it off at the Bo-

vina UP church by calling Pastor Judi at 832-

4490 or bringing with you to worship on Sun-

day am 2) If you shop at Freshtown – your

accumulated points can be given to or trans-

ferred to the food Bank for staff to purchase

produce or other foods not readily available on

the shelves of the Food Bank 3) You can drop

food off on Tuesdays or Fridays to the church

in Andes.

4) You may know that AA meets regularly in

Bovina on Mondays at 7 pm.

5) Wednesday afterschool program will end

June 8th. The kids have had a great time with

Lisa Stanton, Monica Liddle, Christine Batey

and of course Margaret Hilson, Brandye

Grommeck, Tara Hall, Julie Hilson & Marie

Burns. Our thanks to them all for their care

and service.

COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

Sponsored by

the Bovina UP Church

June 2011

Volume 6, Issue 2

July 9 - Ray LaFever

speaks at the library, 11

AM

July 15 -Talent Under

the Tent, 7 PM, Ball

field

July 16 -Bovina Day

Pastoral Prattling continued...

Bovina Community Newsletter

Bovina UP Church News The Bovina UP Church welcomes you to worship with us

Sunday mornings at 10 AM. If you are interested in joining

the church, please contact a member of the Church Session.

Session members are Amy Burns, Jack Burns, Tom Hilson,

Mark Schneider, Janet Stewart, and Mike Worden.

Sunday worship—10 AM. Please come join us!

Sunday School for Children preschool through 6th grade dur-

ing worship

Communion served—1st Sunday of every month

Session Meeting—7PM—3rd Tuesday of every other month

Fellowship Coffee Hour following worship service—2nd Sun-

day of every month Joys and Concerns

Congratulations to Bovina’s high school graduates: Sarah

Burns, Mary Hetterich, Tallulah Guadagnino, Marlee Condon

and Virginia Perez. Congratulations to Cristina and Kiki Vatulescu on the

birth of their daughter, Teodora on May 21. She joins big

sister Veronica.

Congratulations to Marne and Robb Champlin on the

birth of their son, Benson on June 1.

Condolences to Larissa Obolensky on the loss of her hus-

band, Lev.

Condolences to the family of Gladys Lay, who passed

away June 11.

Church Roof

Campaign Drive

The Bovina UP Church is beginning a campaign drive to

replace the church roof in 2012. Please look for our fund

raisers in the coming months. If you would like to make

a donation to help preserve this historical building,

checks may be mailed to:

Bovina United Presbyterian Church

Roof Fund

PO Box 26

Bovina Center, NY 13740

6) The Surprise of Summer (SOS) Is sponsored by the

church organizing non competitive games for Kids, on

Wednesday evenings in July, weather permitting.

7). Vacation Bible School will happen again in the first week

of August. 5-7 pm

8) Fifth Sunday is the time when The Andes , Bovina, &

Cabin Presbyterians and Andes Methodists worship together.

The service is followed by a Pot Luck. Worship rotates from

church to church. The next Fifth Sunday Service will be in

July at Cabin Hill Presbyterian 9:30 am We think we have

much to offer to those who are seeking a faith home. Hope

you will join us for worship Sunday mornings at 10 am as

well as for fellowship, Bible study and church activities.

Thanks to all who give of their time, talents and finances to sup-port the programs and missions of The Bovina UP Church….anyone who would like to get involved in the activities of the church or make a donation to support the church….contact a Session Mem-ber or the Pastor

Church Phone 832-4889 Church mailing address…POBox 26, Bovina Center, NY

13740


PDA, Red Cross provide spiritual care training in wake of natural disasters

Interfaith sessions in Alabama focus on individuals, communities Presbyterian News Service by Bethany Furkin LOUISVILLE

In response to the tornadoes and storms that rocked the south-

ern United States last month, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

and the Red Cross are working to provide spiritual care to those

affected.

In Birmingham and Huntsville, Ala., PDA and the Red Cross

have held two training sessions for local clergy of all back-

grounds who are interested in addressing the spiritual and emo-

tional needs of residents, said the Rev. John Robinson, PDA’s

associate for national disaster response.

The training focuses on how to provide non-biased, non-

proselytizing care, he said, adding that it’s also important for

counselors to know about disasters, stress and different faith tra-

ditions.

―One of the things PDA has been working on is being coopera-

tive and collaborative with other faith partners,‖ Robinson said.

―We really try to be respectful so that anyone of any faith back-

ground can get spiritual care from us without feeling manipu-

lated.‖

Once the clergy are trained, their names are given to the Red

Cross, which then contacts them as needed for work in shelters or

service centers.

In a resource outlining how disasters can affect individuals,

PDA states that traumatic stress can play out as feeling

alienated from God, a new fear of God, anger at God or

difficulty praying.

In communities of faith, disasters can lead to difficulty

in making decisions, confusion, resistance to change and

declined attendance.

The Rev. Warner Durnell, executive presbyter of North

Alabama Presbytery, helped coordinate the training in

Huntsville, which saw about 50 participants.

Although he had hoped for more participation, Durnell

said those who did attend saw the benefits of the training,

such as learning about the cycle of grief and how to recog-

nize symptoms that might require additional counseling.

―We have a keener ear, we’re better listeners,‖ he said.

And the training was beneficial for clergy as well, many

of whom were able to share their burdens and experiences

as first responders.

The Huntsville session was led by PDA staffers, but

Durnell said he hopes the presbytery can coordinate another

session that will allow attendees to be certified to go on

follow-up visits with the Red Cross.

Surprise of Summer

Organized games on the ballfield by the library

Wednesday nights in July at 7 PM

Children 3 and up are welcome!

The Bovina Museum

will be open

the following Saturdays

from 10 - 1

June 18

July 2

August 20

September 17

October 8

Volume 6, Issue 2

BOVINA youth group The Bovina Youth Group has had a busy Spring. We organ-

ized an Easter sunrise service at the home of Marie Burns.

Approximately 30 people attended the 6 a.m. service and al-

though we couldn’t see the sunrise due to overcast conditions

the youth led a beautiful service with scripture, poems and spe-

cial music by flutist Heleena Hilson. After the service the

youth provided a scrumptious breakfast. Thank you to Marie

Burns for opening your home for this special event. The youth

group spent two afternoons of their Spring vacation working on

lawn clean-up for various members of the community. In re-

turn, we suggested a small donation be made to the church roof

fund. We are hoping our hard work paid off! On Saturday,

May 7th, five members of the Bovina youth group walked in the

Alzheimer Memory Walk in Andes. A special thank you to all

community members who contributed ―change for change‖

bags. With your help the youth group was able to raise $350

for the Northeastern Alzheimer Association. On Saturday,

June 4th, the youth group organized a bike-a-thon fund-raiser

for the church roof. It was perfect biking weather and twelve

kids participated in the event. Thank you to the Bovina

Emergency Squad for having the ambulance on site and Josh

Choquette for assisting the youth group with traffic control.

A special thank you to Susan LaFever for allowing the kids

to bike around Lake Jillienne. Lastly, a huge thank you to

the kids that participated and raised over $1000 for our

church roof: Alex Stanton, Sarah Roberts, Tyler Hall, Justin

Stewart, Andrew and Sylvia Liddle, Libby Lamport, Jody

Bray, Kadence LaFaver, and McKenzie, Ryan and John Wil-

son.

These past few months, local youth leaders have been

meeting to plan another Christian youth rally. Jesus Rocks

My World, Delaware County Summer Teen Rally, will be

held on Sunday, July 31st at the Delhi Legion from 1 to 5

p.m.. All area teens are invited to attend. The rally has a

A few of the Alzheimer’s Walkers

sports theme with ultimate Frisbee and kickball tournaments.

Youth groups are encouraged to come dressed in team uni-

forms (be creative and crazy). There will be mission outreach

projects under the pavilion. One of these mission projects

will be led by ladies from the Bovina UP Church working on

their ―ugly quilts‖ (sleeping bags for the homeless). We are

looking forward to attending this event and welcome any

Bovina teens to join us.

An end of the year barbecue was held on Sunday, June 5th

at the Heavey’s. We planned our uniform for the Summer

youth rally (look for our picture in the next newsletter) and

practiced our ultimate Frisbee and kickball skills. Youth

group will resume in September with monthly meetings

again being planned for the first Sunday of each month. We

welcome any youth entering 6th grade or up to join us. For

more information about Youth Group contact leaders Col-

leen Heavey, Jen Aikens or Roberta Burgin.

Getting another lap checked

off (above). One more lap

around the lake (right).

Bovina Public Library The 2011 Bovina Public Library READ-A-THON ofcially

begins June 15th and runs through August 15th. What is the

read-a-thon?! Glad you asked! It’s a fun fund raiser for the

BPL in which all ages can participate - DROP by the Library

for more information and to SIGN UP!!

ART CAMP 2011

begins Thursday June 30th 11a.m.-12:30 p.m. & this year

we’re doing it week by week with different leaders doing dif-

ferent projects –

June 30th – 11-12:30 – sidewalk chalk self-portraits & Bovina

Scenes w Marjorie Darling (inside with craypas if it rains…..)

July 7th – 11-12:30 - Batik and Tie-dying with Sonya Farrell,

please bring white tee shirts or fabric for dying as well as rub-

ber gloves & rubber bands (& clothes to get splashy painty in)!

July 14th - 11-12:30 - Gary Mayer helps our artists make mo-

biles to decorate our library and their homes!

July 20 – FROM 6-7 P.M. (N.B. THIS IS A WEDNESDAY

EVENING PROGRAM) Lisbeth Firmin will lead our artists

through color mixing and create color wheels…….

July 28 – 11-12:30 - Story and Art come together in simple

stories written and illustrated by the artists, led by Pam Benson

& Susan Hahn - for more info, call the library, stop or check

out the schedule on our web site! ***** A one time donation

of $10.00 for each art camp participant is suggested. *****

Local Bovina Artist Gary Mayer's Caricatures and a selec-

tion of his Children's Illustrations will be on display at the

library from June 15th thru the end of July; an opening to cele-

brate the exhibit will be held from 6-8pm on Wednesday the

15th of June - please join us!

Come to the Bovina Public Library July 9 at 11a.m. for a

new exhibit and brief chat by Bovina Town Historian Ray

LaFever on Bovina Schools. The last public school in Bovina

closed 50 years ago this June. If you were in that last class at

the Bovina School, be sure to come and share any memories

you may have. Also we will be rededicating the front steps

that day……

on BOVINA DAY 2011 the Library will be having

our annual GIGANTIC BOOK SALE (9-2pm) as well as a

super dooper Friends of the Library pie sale – YUM!! All

proceeds benefit the Library and please note that the library

will be closed that day for regular business……….

Volume 6, Issue 2

COMMUNITY NEWS

The youngest biker in the 2011 bike-a-thon.

All of the riders finish for the day.

THE 2011

Bike-a-thon!

Airplane Crash on Bramley Mountain by Ray LaFever, Town Historian


At 9:00 P.M on April 29, 1945, Robert B. Clark, a young

West Point cadet from Holdrege, Nebraska, took off in an

AT-6 Texan trainer from Bolling Field, Washington, DC on

a regular training trick to Stewart Field in Newburgh, NY.

The weather conditions were poor as he progressed closer to

New York State, with showers and clouds at 3000 feet near

Newburgh. Though the pilot was instructed to report his

progress near Allentown, Pennsylvania, no such contact was

made.

A little before midnight, Clark apparently realized that he

had overshot Newburgh and was trying to get his bearings.

He circled over the Bramley Mountain area of Bovina and

flew under the cloud ceiling in order to get some visual

sighting. Shortly after the plane's left wing tip struck a tree

and then crashed into the side of Moon Mountain, just east of

Bramley Mountain. Perry Craft and Stanley Crank from

Bloomville heard the crash, as did Howard LaFever who was

on Bramley Mountain. Craft and LaFever both contacted the

State Police. Trooper J.F. Taylor from the New York State

Police received the call and immediately went to Stanley

Cronk's home. Taylor and Cronk, along with Craft and LaFe-

ver, set out in the fog and drizzle to search for the plane. At

1:50 am on April 30th, LaFever and Taylor, using strong

police flashlights and following the odor of airplane fuel,

found the first signs of the craft and a few minutes later

found the fuselage and the body of the pilot in the cockpit.

Clark had been killed instantly. LaFever was sent to a near-

by phone to call the authorities. Sargent W.M. Waldron from

Troop "C" in Sidney arrived to guard the plane until the

Army authorities arrived. The accident was reported in most

of the local papers and even showed up in the New York

Times.

Accident investigators noted that the pilot had both radios

on and that the throttle was full forward when he crashed.

The altimeter read 2460 feet - Moon Mountain is 2665 feet

high. The crash site was heavily wooded, with a debris field

about 300 feet long from point of first impact to the final

resting place of the cockpit. The investigators determined

that pilot error was the main cause of the crash.

The pilot, Robert Bragg Clark, was born August 9, 1923

in Holdrege, Nebraska, the son of Charles M. and his wife

Frances. He grew up in Nebraska and graduated from Hol-

drege High School in June 1941, where he had been a mem-

ber of the National Honor Society, the Debate Team and was

in the band. Clark also was class valedictorian. He was not

from a farming family - he was noted for doing small main-

tenance jobs to supplement the family income, including

work on telephone and telegraph lines. Clark's high school

classmates, during their 50th reunion in 1991, remembered

him as a hard worker with a positive outlook on life.

They expected great things from him.

After winning state recognition for his debating talents,

Robert Clark came to the attention of Nebraska's U.S. Senator,

George Norris, who appointed him to the United States Mili-

tary Academy at West Point. At the time of his entrance on

July 15, 1942, he was tall and slim (6 feet, 2 inches and 162

pounds). Assigned to Company A-1, he became a corporal in

October 1943 and was promoted to sergeant in September

1944. While at the Military Academy, Clark participated in

intramural soccer, swimming, lacrosse and squash. In April of

1944, he began training as a student pilot, spending two

months in Texas before completing his basic training at Stew-

art Field in Newburgh in March 1945. To prepare for gradua-

tion, Air Cadets had to accelerate their academic schedule and

undergo 60 days of intensive flying to receive their wings on

graduation day. At the time of the plane crash, Clark was only

a few hours away from getting his wings. The flight that ended

in his death was to have been one of his last.

Clark’s death was a shock to the academy and to his com-

pany. He had been due to graduate that June. His funeral was

held at the chapel at West Point on May 2, a bright and sunny

day. He is buried at the cemetery at West Point.

At the Bovina Historical Society’s museum is a piece of the

airplane, retrieved by my dad when he was 13 years old. He

probably retrieved it within days of the accident. The site had

been roped off, but the crash left a large debris field, so pieces

likely were scattered over a wide range. The piece is one of the

cylinders from the engine – it weighs 43 pounds.

On April 29, 2011, Chris Ingvordsen, Don Farley and I

attempted to more accurately locate the crash site. I met up

with my uncle, George LaFever, who pointed out about where

he believed the site was. George was 9 when the crash hap-

pened and in the 1960s recalls still being able to see some de-

bris. We went to Don Farley's place off Reagan Road and the

three of us set off with a metal detector, altimeter, and GPS to

see if we could find any remnant of the crash. We are pretty

sure we were near or at the site, but had no success in finding

any debris to confirm this. Chris and I made another attempt a

week later, again with no success, but efforts will continue.

I also continue to pursue further information on Cadet

Clark, including locating any possible surviving family mem-

bers (he had a brother in the Army Air Corps). Just within the

past few days, I have established contact with an alumni group

from Clark’s high school in Nebraska.

Several of his classmates are still living, so I hope to find

more information about the West Point cadet whose life was

tragically cut short on a foggy and damp mountainside in Bo-

vina in April 1945.

Volume 6, Issue 2

News from the Town of Bovina The Highway Department will be cleaning ditches soon. If

you are interested in ditch dirt please call Bob Burgin at

832-4220.

Coming Soon! As we all now the newspaper/magazine

bin was moved to the transfer station when the construction

was going on at the highway garage. The construction is now

complete and the newspaper/magazine bin will be moving

back to the highway garage in the near future!

Spring Tire Day at the Transfer station will be June 18th.

Farming Bovina by Evelyn Stewart

The monthly meeting of Farming Bovina will be held on Sat-

urday June 11th at 1:00 pm at the Community Hall. Our meet-

ing is open to anyone interested in attending. Please join us to

learn about our current projects, a farmers market and the

prospect of a Bovina creamery. We hope to see you there!

Bovina Historical Society

Bovina Day will be July 16. Those not using their front

lawns for their sales are welcome to set up on the ball field next

to the library. The Bovina Library will have their books for

sale also; care needs to be given to respect their space. We

advertise this event; there are expenses; while we have chosen

this year not to charge lawn sale vendor fees, we always appre-

ciate donations. We are a struggling society with many obliga-

tions.

We will have a coffee/goodies table to the left of the library

beginning at 8 a.m. and a refreshment table at the ball game.

Hotdogs will not be served as last year, but cold drinks and

snacks will be available.

Bea Sohni will have some specialty item at lunch time in

and/or in front of Russell’s Store.

Again, The Bovina Dairymen, Bovina’s vintage ball

team, will be facing an opponent on Hilson’s Flat in the

afternoon. For a fun view, check out The Dairymen‘s website at http://www.delcovintagebb.org/ Museum – Hopefully we will be open on Bovina Day. La-

bels have been replaced. Ray LaFever is endeavoring to re-

store viewing of our Veteran’s Sign. Care will be taken to

protect it and display it with honor. Again, the Shoemakers

have planted flowers in the window boxes. The lot between

the Bovina Museum and the Old Fire Hall needs a volunteer

to keep the grass in check. Please see Sibel Finn if you are

so inclined. All help is greatly appreciated.

Ray LaFever’s retirement has lent much historical interest

and energy to Bovina. We so appreciate that he is our Bo-

vina Historian..

Russells Store – Much winterization occurred this winter

as a result of the generous donations which matched MARK

funds from an O’Connor Foundation Grant. It’s great to

walk in and see people from all walks huddled over cups of

coffee or other beverages and a piece of pie or one of Bea’s

wonderful apple muffins or carrot cakes. We continue to

support Bea is maintaining a ―center‖ - a place to pick up

that extra grocery item, a gift, or just meet and greet.

We continue to invite you to belong to the Historical So-

ciety.

Bovina Fire Department & Emergency Squad The Bovina Fire Department and Emergency Squad appre-

ciate all the support our Community gives us through the year

and hope to see you at our yearly fundraisers. This is a chance

for you to get out and support your local volunteers and a time

for catching up with friends and neighbors. Look for the yearly

Fire Department Chicken BBQ to be held in late August and

the Emergency Squads Chili Supper to be held the first Satur-

day in October.

The Fire Departments Annual Fire Queen contest will take

place at the end of June, any young lady living within the Bo-

vina Fie District between the ages of 14-19 are welcome to

participate. Letters will be sent out and fliers will be posted.

Anyone with any questions concerning this contest can contact

Fire Chief Bob Burgin at 832-4857. Being selected as Bovina

Fire Queen not only gives you a chance to represent the Bovina

Fire Department in local parades and events, it also qualifies

the young ladies for scholarships in the community service

categories. We hope to see a lot of young ladies taking ad-

vantage of this opportunity.

The Bovina Fire Department and Emergency Squad are

always looking for new members to volunteer and join us.

Every community is finding it hard to recruit new members

with all the demands for training that come with the posi-

tions. I’m sure if you asked anyone who has made the time to

volunteer their time for their local fire department and emer-

gency squad you will get the answer of it’s a lot of hard work

but it’s worth every minute just to know you have helped out

your local community and to hear them say THANK YOU!!

Please come join us….we would love to have you in our

volunteering family!!

http://www.delcovintagebb.org/


Bovina UP Church, Bovina Public Library and Bovina Historical Society

are teaming up to present…..

TALENT UNDER THE TENT

FRIDAY JULY 15, 7pm (on the ball field next to the library)

SHOWCASING BOVINA’S PREMEIR TALENT

Come and enjoy an evening of entertainment

and lite refreshments *****free will donations accepted*****

BOVINA DAY 2010

Volume 6, Issue 2

9 AM to 3 PM

BOVINA Lawn Sales Sponsored by the Bovina Historical

Society

Bovina Town Picnic

6 PM at the Ball field Rain or Shine!

Please bring a dish to pass and your own bev-erage. Lemonade, water, and table

service will be provided. Pie eating contest!

Tug of war! Games for adults and children!

BOVINA DAY SATURDAY, JULY 16

Look for the Ice Cream Truck! Ice cream cones available to

benefit the Bovina UP Church.

VINTAGE BASEBALL

Bovina Dairymen vs. Fleishmanns MAC

Noon Field by Bovina Creamery

Shop for treasures and then relax with a delicious lunch at Russell’s Store.

The Bovina Museum will be open.

Immerse yourself in the history of this small town.

Bring your children to the….

Kid’s activity tent Fun….games….prizes

(on the ball field next to the library)

10:30-Noon

HUGE TAG SALE at the Bovina UP Church

Featuring gently used

Children’s Clothing and

toys (if you have any items that you would like to donate for

the sale….donations may be left under the alcove in back of the church or call Amy at 832-4836 to arrange pick up

of donations)

Pastor Judith Gage [email protected]

PO Box 26 Bovina Center, NY 13740

COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

SPONSORED BY THE BOVINA UP CHURCH

Do you have any news for the newsletter? If so contact Monica Liddle at 832-4611 or Lisa Stanton

at 832-4265.

We are now green!

If you would like to receive our e-

newsletter, please send a message to

[email protected]

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

DELHI, NY

PERMIT NO. 2

bovina community newsletter · bovina community newsletter pastoral prattling by judi gage spring...

Documents