the chatter for may 2014
TRANSCRIPT
May/June 2014 Editor Nancy DiPace Pfau Number 19 GARDEN PARTY MAY 24 AND 25
What could be sweeter than John Hall’s Baby Goats to remind us that SPRING really did arrive this year, and with it the 4th ANNUAL Sharon Springs Garden Party. For a complete list of events do check the Sharon Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Beekman website, or enjoysharonsprings.com
I hope everyone will come out during the morning hours of Saturday, May 24th to help with the “Clean Up Chalybeate Park” event. There will be lots of happenings this year at the Chalybeate Temple too.
Josh and Brent, our own Fabulous Beekman Boys, will be signing copies of their brand new, hot-off-the-presses Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook, behind the Mercantile.
Tours of the village on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 3 PM [$10 donation for Chalybeate Park, cash only at time of tour, meet at Chalybeate Temple, one hour or a little more]!
Stay around for Monday to enjoy real small town America with our Memorial Day Parade and salute to our veterans in front of the school on Route 20. This year a special plaque will be dedicated to the soldiers who died in the Battle of Sharon, July 1781.
Hannah:
Thank you to Bruce Button and Lee Publications Inc. for publishing!
ALWAYS READY TO PARTY – DOUG, MICHELLE AND MAUREEN
A message from the Race Director:
A rousing thank you to over 60 volunteers, 150 registered runners and walkers and to the cheering crowds at the finish line in making the inaugural RUN 4 THE HILLS! such a tremendous success. This painfully hilly benefit run/walk has raised approximately $5,000 to be awarded to the Sharon Springs Fire Department and Rescue Squad. RUN 4 THE HILLS! is dedicated to annually fundraise and support our local and regional first responders. Specific thank you's and praise to our County Sheriff (and resident) Tony Desmond and the Schoharie County Tactical and Rescue Force, to the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office Road Patrol, to Ann Marie-Keyes, Stacey Wojciechowski and Greg Baxter from the SSFD and Rescue Squad, to the amazing (and supportive) Course Marshalls from the SSFD, Rescue Squad and Sharon Springs Legion Post 1269, to Doug McCoy and his outstanding timing team from the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, and to over 30 sponsors that supported the race. Additional thank you's to our local community of volunteers who provided assistance with parking, registration and general information to our participants. RUN 4 THE HILLS! was inspired in part by the efforts of hundreds of First Responders who saved countless lives at the Boston Marathon bombings just one year ago. It was their bravery, compassion and courage that has lead to the formation of HERO FUND AMERICA, a non-profit that recognizes and honors First Responders. Please remember to support, thank and acknowledge your local emergency response organizations in your communities and be reminded of the enormous sacrifices they make daily to assure all of us a safe and secure world to live in. Thank you lastly, to the Village and Town of Sharon for their unwavering cooperation and generosities throughout the organization and execution of RUN 4 THE HILLS! A great job supported by a valued community event.
Sincerely, Garth Roberts Race Director
BLACK CAT NEWS Black Cat is still open 7 days a week. Our Pizza Pizza Friday and Saturday nites (430-‐730) have been a big hit and will continue for a few more weeks at least. Of course you can order off the regular menu too. Glimmerglass Festival 2014 is almost here and for the 8th consecutive year you can order gourmet Black Cat picnics delivered to Glimmerglass ... or even to pick up at the Cafe. We're gearing up for the season and are hiring. Several openings because some of our old-‐timer kids have graduated from college(!) and won't all be coming back. Finally we are still at Cooperstown Farmer's Market Saturdays 8-‐2. Be sure to like us on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/blackcatny DANCE NEWS Studio North Presents "Studio North Goes to the Movies" Friday, May 30 @ 7 pm Sharon Springs Central School Everyone Welcome Free Join us this Summer for Weekly Classes and Summer Camps! Adult Classes will be offered in Tai Chi, Belly Dance, Gentle and Power Yoga, Dance for Heart, Hip Hop & Zumba Children's Classes include Acrobatics, Ballet, Pre Dance, Hip Hop, Theatre, Choreography & Dance Camps For the Serious Dancer, we are offering Contemporary as well as a Weekly Technique class with various guest artists For a full schedule, please visit our website www.studionorthny.com Registration is Saturday, June 7 at Studio North (9 am-1:30 pm) Classes begin June 30 Congratulations to Emily Thompson, a Studio North student, who was selected to dance with the New York City Ballet at SPAC this summer! Emily will perform in Jerome Robbins' "Circus Polka". NYCB will be at SPAC July 8-12. Don't miss the MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY at SPAC on Thursday, June 12. The Martha Graham Dance Company has been a leader in contemporary dance since 1926!
NEWSY TIDBITS: 1. MITCHELL OWENS’ cover story for June 2014 Architectural Digest! Go out and buy yours now! Mitch’s article about Bette Midler's New York City penthouse and her urban-garden activism with the New York Restoration Project is the cover story of the July 2014 issue of Architectural Digest. 2. Sharon Springs, Inc. has not yet offered a doable plan for the makeover of the Imperial Baths, Columbia and Adler Hotels…so the dissolution sadly continues. 3. Ron Ketelson from California is planning to purchase the Roseboro Hotel in June, stand by for news of its restoration, fingers crossed! 4. Dave Ruch will present traditional and historical SONGS OF NY STATE on June 11 at 7:30 pm, Carlisle Town Hall. Free and open to the public. OPERA NEWS by Gail Luna The Glimmerglass Festival is gearing up for its 2014 Festival. The opera and musical theater company has a year-‐round staff of about 20 people, and in the summer that number grows to close to 350, as singers, designers, directors, carpenters and more join the community to produce world-‐class theater. Every summer, the company’s Young Artists Program welcomes about 45 apprentices, who work on their craft and perform in the four mainstage productions, as well as many special events. The Young Artists will be arriving at the end of May, as will many guest artists. If you were to stop by the theater now, you will see a flurry of activity has begun, as many of the company’s seasonal staff and interns have already arrived. This summer, The Glimmerglass Festival will present new productions of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, Strauss’ Ariadne in Naxos and Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy (inspired by local historical events). The season will open July 11 and run through August 24.
Horseradish
A Litt le History and Some Growing Instruct ions The D. Landreth Seed Company, Copyr ight 2008
Horseradish is a member of the mustard family and as such is related to kale, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and radishes. It is grown for its thick, fleshy white roots which are ground into a paste and used as a condiment. The zesty bite and distinctive aroma of the horseradish are not present until the root is ground up. The process of grinding crushes the root cells which release volatile oils known as isothiocyanates. Vinegar is known to stop this reaction so for milder horseradish flavor, vinegar is added immediately. The Egyptians knew and used horseradish as early as 1500 BC. At the time of the Jewish Exodus, horseradish was designated as one of the “five bitter herbs” that the Jews were told to eat during Passover. The early Greeks used horseradish as a lower back rub and an aphrodisiac. By 1300-‐1600, the root was being used by Europeans especially in Central Europe, Scandinavia and England. It was increasingly used for medicinal purposes such as cough expectorant and treatment for food poisoning, scurvy, tuberculosis and colic. During the 17th century, horseradish gained new popularity as an ingredient in “Horseradish Ale” made from horseradish, wormwood and tansy. Today, annually more than 24 million pounds of horseradish are processed to produce approximately 6 million gallons of prepared horseradish. To plant horseradish roots dig a hole 1 foot in diameter and 8 inches deep. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole. Place the root in the hole with the small end at the bottom of the hole and allowing the root to rest along the side of the hole so that the top of the root just breaks the surface of the soil. Refill the hole with a mixture of soil and compost or dried cow manure and mound up the dirt 2-‐3 inches above the soil’s surface because the dirt will settle with time and watering. Make sure the top of the root is left uncovered. Keep the soil slightly moist. The composted soil mixture should provide the plant with enough nutrients, but can be supplemented with a low nitrogen fertilizer 2-‐3 times during the year. For the most pungent flavor, do not harvest the roots until the leaves have seen a hard frost. One year old plants have the most flavor, so dig the roots up each year and replant in the spring. Horseradish roots may also be planted in the fall like onions and garlic.
MEMORIAL DAY IS A DAY TO REMEMBER by Sandra Manko
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for our veterans and all those who died for their country. Memorial Day is always a day to remember – with cemetery visits, services, ceremonies, and parades.
In school, we memorized facts about the wars: Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I, and all the rest. We filled our notebooks with the critical dates and wrote essays about the causes, the distinguished leaders, winners, and losers. Years later we remember little of the facts. We might remember slogans, such as “Remember the Maine,” and “Over There,” but we don’t remember the details and what they all mean. More unsettling is the fact that many times we still don’t understand or really know why we went to war.
It’s difficult for today’s youth to comprehend the true meaning of liberty since they’ve never had to fight for freedom to go to school or for freedom of religion. Looking back through history books, it seems America was always fighting. Sometimes we fought ourselves as in the Civil War. Sometimes we fought others for a variety of reasons, as in World War I and World War II. We look to our leaders for guidance and hope their decisions are the right ones.
Traditional observance of Memorial Day has diminished over the years. Many Americans have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored and neglected. That is not
true in Sharon. We are very fortunate that our local American Legion puts flags on all veteran’s graves in the Sharon cemeteries each year before Memorial weekend.
The Sharon Historical Society published a book “Honor and Glory” in 2009, which was a tribute to Sharon’s veterans. While I was helping do research for the book, I had many interesting conversations with veterans and their families. Over and over I heard how veterans, especially of World War II, would not talk about their military service. One man would simply walk out of the room and not discuss it. Another man got rid of his medals so there would be no reminders.
As I dug deeper for information about the men and women who served, I uncovered a lot more facts. It wasn’t that they were trying to keep it secret. They were humble people. They just didn’t bring attention to themselves and their military records.
I would like to recognize a few local military personnel – names very familiar to many of us.
• Jesse Lane, Seaman 1st Class enlisted at age 17, involved in action toward the end of WWII at Okinawa, the site of one of the war’s bloodiest battles.
• Seaman 1st Class Dick LaGuardia served with the US Navy and participated in
numerous battles in WWII.
• Sgt. Art Herman, who saw action in Africa, Sicily, Italy, Corsica and France, assisted in compiling over 15,000 combat raids in 2 ½ years of combat operations. He received the good conduct medal plus many others.
• Five Purcell brothers were in the service at the same time – Alton, Donald, Gerald,
Thomas and Raymond. Thomas received a Purple Heart. I can’t imagine the anguish their family went through with five sons serving at the same time.
• Capt. Floyd Kettler, US Army, awarded numerous combat medals.
• Staff Sgt. Wendell Ethington, US Army, received a Bronze Star.
• Pfc. Harold Lappeus, US Army, given a Purple Heart medal.
• Pfc. Arden Vrooman, US Army, fought in battles of Central Europe, Normandy,
Northern France, Rhineland, Battle of the Bulge, among others, received Good Conduct Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Honorable Service Lapel Button, European-‐African-‐Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and more.
• Lt. Colonel Larry McFee served in the US Air Force as a B-‐17 pilot during World
War II and spent 5 months as a Prisoner of War in Germany. This modest man said “It wasn’t so bad.”
• Tec Sgt. Kenneth Van Dyke, US Army Air Corps, WWII and Korea; he was a Gunner, his plane went down and he spent 9 months as Prisoner of War in Germany.
• Pfc. Lincoln Brown, US Army, Prisoner of War.
• During World War II, five Sharon families were saddened with a letter bearing
those fateful words, “We regret to inform you.” Lt. Andrew Empie, Sgt. Walter Sall, Pvt. Howard Slater, Cpl. Lawrence Stephens, and Pfc. Anthony DiPace died in World War II.
• Cpl. Richard Buttery was killed in the Korean Conflict. He was awarded the
Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, and more.
These are just a handful of our local distinguished veterans. There are many, many
more. These men are some of Sharon’s finest. They should go down in history as our true heroes – not football players, basketball greats, and rock stars; they weren’t well-‐known outside of our local community. They lived and worked among us and were simply ordinary men -‐ but they did extraordinary things. They did what needed to be done at the time.
Our veterans are entitled to the fullest measure of honor and respect – not just on Memorial Day – but all through the year. While we are having cookouts, attending parades, and waving American flags, most assuredly, we are all guilty of not giving enough thought to the reasons we are celebrating. Our veterans who fought to maintain the rights of “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” are entitled to the fullest measure of honor and respect. Each of us has a duty to keep the memories alive of those who served our country. We need to remind our children that they are free to go to school and have a day off, go to the mall, eat junk food and play video games because of the sacrifices of other people whom they have never met.
America is not perfect. We all know it isn’t. However, what we do have is freedom. We have the freedom to criticize our country. Compare our life style with those throughout the world and know how fortunate we are. We live in the greatest country in the world.
It is because of the soldiers and military personnel who have fought through all the wars, from the Battle of Sharon in the Revolutionary War, Civil War, world wars, Vietnam, Korean Conflict and so on, to the present conflicts, we are free to go to ballgames, attend whatever church we want – or not. And go to movies; all those things we take for granted. They gave their lives so that we could all be safer, freer, and at peace. Our lives are better because of their dedication. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to these very brave, unselfish men and women. We cannot imagine the experiences and horrors that you have endured. We do not take you for granted.
Fukushima Fighter Part II: The Armor-plated Umbrella By Rebekah Schecter, enzyme warrior & nutrient defender!
In this day and age of constant turmoil, we need to pick our battles wisely. One of my favorite sayings is, "All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism." (Anonymous) It would be silly to defy that rain cloud not to rain, just as ridiculous as it would be to put too much of your energy into protesting governments hell-‐bent on making energy from nuclear power plants. Instead of complaining that it is raining yet another day, it is time to simply pull out our umbrellas. By working within our own means of control, that worrisome Fukushima dark cloud becomes a lot less menacing.
The "umbrella" I am writing of is a complete diet/lifestyle overhaul combining vitamins and trace minerals, organic fruits and vegetables (raw!), exercise, AND sun therapy. Vitamin D deficiencies are rampant in our corner of the globe and responsible for a wide variety of diseases, cancers, and the accelerated onset of Type II Diabetes! Our bodies make vitamin D quite well with exposure to our sun, however a daily supplement of 3,000 IU to 5,000 IU of vitamin D taken orally insures that you are in the safe range. This body re-‐calibration includes cutting way back on sugar, GMO foods, most forms of gluten, and any fish from the Pacific Ocean for the radiation has sadly already left it's mark on them.
The three main isotopes that are continually being leaked from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant are Caesium-‐137, Strontium-‐90, and Iodine-‐131. Atomically, Caesium-‐137 resembles potassium so closely that if our bodies are deficient in that mineral, we are more likely to "attract" that isotope. In fact, every human on the planet currently has Caesium-‐137 in their bones from Chernobyl fallout, and this current catastrophe we are dealing with is exponentially worse. Strontium-‐90 mirrors calcium and therefore also needs to be addressed. In order for proper calcium absorption to take place, you also need magnesium, the essential amino acid L-‐lysine, and vitamin D present in your system. Finding these in your food is fantastic, but with a situation of this importance, supplements are key. Iodine-‐131 has an extremely short half life of around five days, but I still recommend an alcohol-‐based nascent iodine to receive about 500 mcg a day, especially if you are a child or pregnant. Breakthrough research has led me to also tell you about Lypo-‐Spheric Vitamin C. It utilizes a liposomal encapsulated C that exceeds even an intravenous vitamin C's ability to penetrate cell walls by up to 70%. This cellular access is crucial as it is where healing is ultimately needed the most.
Despite our negative attitudes and our reckless human behavior, Mother Nature still has our back. All of the things that help prevent our over-‐exposure to radiation comes from the Earth in its raw and unadulterated form, not from a gigantic pharmaceutical company. For example: anyone in Sharon Springs would tell you that this was one of the most bountiful years for apples that we have had in quite some time. Apples aplenty loaded with amazing anti-‐radiation quality pectin at precisely the same time a radiation plume from Fukushima makes its way to our land? Coincidence? I think not. Another secret weapon in this fight is a volcanic ash known as Bentonite Clay, nature's kryptonite to radiation! The porous structure and high negative charge of this ash traps ALL dangerous, positively charged radioactive particles and carries them off and out of our bodies, not just specific isotopes. It is also a pursuant of unwelcome heavy metals, bad bacteria (even MRSA!), and fungi. Please join me on an enlightened and proactive path while living in man's careless wake. Our "umbrella" of protection can be time consuming and costly, but it is more important to have gold-‐plated armor than a gold-‐plated coffin. Grab your umbrellas, Sharon Springs, and raise them as high as you can! By protecting yourselves and your loved ones, my dream is that you will not be afraid to go play in the rain and stomp in some fun puddles.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 9, 2014 THE SMITHY KICKS OFF THE SEASON WITH THE GALLERY’S FIRST OPENING NIGHT MAY 26, 2014, 5 to 7PM SMITHY GALLERY, 55 PIONEER STREET
CONTACT: Kristin Bergene
(607) 547-8671, [email protected]
Cooperstown, NY - The Smithy Gallery announces the launch off the 2014 summer season with the first opening on Monday, May 26 at 5pm. Continuing the tradition of displaying diversity in art we begin by featuring local artists Rhea Reynolds, Fran Harris and Henry Drexler in the first floor gallery. The second floor will house a special exhibit of Susan Jones Kenyon’s art students. Their exhibit, ‘Personalities of Paint,’ will be complemented by the ceramic work of Alex Bauer, also featured in the garden. The third floor will highlight the works of our Member Artists in the exhibit ‘On Closer Inspection,’ curated by Deborah Ziegler. To add to an already full show of both sculpture, ceramics and paintings, we are pleased to announce the arrival of life-size sculpture by New York City artist, Adrian Landon. For the entirety of the summer, you will find the original steel horse that began Landon’s career in the garden. In addition to the gallery opening, they would also like to announce the publication of Wordsmiths: Volume One. It is an anthology of work from the on campus Writers’ Circle, filled with poetry, short stories, photography and drawings. All the authors will be present for a reading in the garden between 5:30 and 6:30. Signed copies of the publication will be available for sale at $10. It’s sure to be a lovely holiday evening, filled with art, literature and live music, compliments of the talented Sam Porter. The Smithy, as always, is delighted to present the incredible artist and their creations to the community.
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Observing Memorial Day in Sharon Springs