Monday, December 18, 2006

Downtown Doings

IT PAYS TO STRIP. In the course of refurbishing the ground floor of the Catskill building that formerly housed the Mental Health Association office, proprietor Michele Saunders has unearthed treasures. Beneath “layers of linoleum and crap,” parquet flooring. Behind plaster panels, “magnificent” radiators, fully wainscotted walls, and stylish windows. Behind the false ceiling, pressed tin. Soon the place at 377 Main St, Catskill, will be a gracious setting for ex-Hudsonians Jim Deskevich and Corbett Marshall, who, as Variegated Inc., create textile designs.

COMMUTERS. Bruce and Lynn Anderson, new Catskillians, run a high-tech design and engineering business, Datapak Associates, inventing stronger-but-lighter carbon fiber gadgets for aircraft and other uses. They commute to work. That trip consists of walking down the back stairs of their new CPC apartment on Main Street, crossing the alley, thereby arriving at company headquarters: the refurbished carriage house.

SHIFTING. Day & Holt, having sold out most of its hardwares stock, will close altogether at the end of the month, in preparation for moving in the stock of Swamp Angel Antiques from the adjoining (less spacious) part of the double storefront building. Then, according to Pat and Stephanie Walsh, the vacated space at 347 Main St will be available for lease.

STOCKED BUT not signed or opened for business yet is the new N & S bathroom supplies showroom at 352 Main St, Catskill.

DENTIST Ted Belfor is now fully installed in offices formerly occupied by Dr Leonard Niad, has already added staff, and now has his presence touted by a toothsome Karl Anis-made sign on Bridge Street. (Actually, toothsome does not have anything to do with teeth).

GONE from 342 Main St—and not a moment too soon—is the Columbia-Greene Beauty School, which moved to Latham.

NOW LICENSED to sell spirituous beverages at Doubles II, the new tavern on Church St, Catskill (corner of Water St), are partners Michael De Benedictus and Sam Arvi. The new dispensation was celebrated Friday night (12/15). The place, holographically illuminated by Rudi Berkhout, will serve drinks and snacks on Friday and Saturday nights until January, then from Wednesday through Saturday nights, with special music programs on Wednesdays.

SOLD already are two of the 20 condominium apartments that are being created inside the former Orens Furniture warehouse on Water St, even though they won’t be habitable before mid-2007.

KEEPING TRACK. $4.5 million in State subsidies will go to CSX Transportation for track improvements and siding construction during 2007-10 in Catskill. Additional big sums from the Rail Freight and Passenger Assistance Program, Gov. George Pataki announced on Thursday, will go to CSX for work in Kingston, Saugerties and other places in the State. The outlays are part of $60 million altogether for railroad maintenance and improvements. Yes, this is a clear case of giving taxpayer money to private companies. The particular case weakens the force of the idea that railroads suffer unfair discrimination in competition with truckers, since the latter do not have to create or maintain the roads on which they travel. No, the old train station, now occupied by Haines Garage, won’t be re-opened.

SALUTED by Architectural Digest, as one of the “top international architects and interior designers whose work we have featured on these pages over the past several years”: Steven Shadley, who heads a six-person firm in Manhattan and is a long-time resident of Leeds. In addition to serving clients such as Diane Keaton and Matthew Modine, Mr Shadley has taken the time to conceive and in large measure to implement, personally, adaptation of the old storeroom at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, in Catskill, into a visitor center and book store. Pro bono.

LAUDED by The New York Times, in an editorial (Dec. 14) entitled “Congress and the Benefits of Sunshine,” for deciding to “post details of her work calendar on the Internet at the end of each day,” thereby enabling constituents to learn “what she is actually doing for their money” and achieving “a quiet touch of revoloution”: our newly-elected U.S. Representative, Kirsten Gillibrand.

APPOINTED by unanimous vote of Catskill’s governing Trustees, to the newly created office of Village Historian, in recognition of his services as editor of and contributor to the commemorative bicentennial book Village, as well as of his editorial savvy and historiographic enthusiasm: Richard Philp.

CROSSING. The semi-weekly Independent, which is based in Hillsdale, Columbia County, and is owned by the parents of the Kingston-based Daily Freeman, is coming to Greene County. First issue of a planned quarterly supplement devoted to this side of the river, or at least to burgeoning Catskill, is slated, says publisher Grant Cover, for this February. (Wouldn’t it be better if Mr Cover were a magazine publisher?)

CAIRO “offers both a dramatic past—it was once both a thriving tannery town and a tourist stop on the famed Catskill Mountain Railroad, and gangster Jack ‘Legs’ Diamond was shot in a bar there—and a small town atmosphere,” says writer Al Desetta. Moreover, its Main Street “is studded with gift stores rather than its former resorts, boarding houses, and saloons” and Cairo home prices are “among the most affordable regionally.” Those words appear in the current issue of in New York House. The Real Estate Magazine for Smarter Living. The magazine’s cover page promises to show, as a “featured listing,” an “equestrian and skier’s paradise” in Greene County. But no such property is presented inside the magazine.

“HARK the HArOld Angels Sing” could appropriately come from the duplex stores operated at 386 and 388 Main Street by the neighboring Harolds: Hanson (of Verso) and Gondrez (of Dream).

SEEING REALITY. “There are views of the Hudson’s tree-lined riverbanks, of the gossamer blue Catskill Mountains, of ancient willows bent over woodland brooks that appear so idyllically beautiful,” says travel writer Nicole Cotroneo (Washington Post, 12/17) that “I was forced to swallow all the criticisms I'd had of the 19th-century artists who painted this region. Previously I had dismissed the work of the Hudson River School -- the landscape painters whose collective work is widely recognized as the first coherent American art movement -- as unrealistically pastoral. Now I saw that they were extraordinarily accurate.” The writer also hails Olana, the Moorish castle in Hudson, as “the architectural star of the heritage area. It stands in stark contrast to Thomas Cole's home, Cedar Grove, on the opposite bank, a modest yellow Federal-style home... Cole was not only the founder of the Hudson River School but also [Frederick] Church's teacher. If homes are indeed an indication of success, it seems the student outshone his master.”

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dick,

give us an update on the lawsuit!

Anonymous said...

did you check out todays top headline in the daily mail "embers continue to smolder"

Anonymous said...

Wow Dick, Did you see Wed Catskill Daily Mail!

Anonymous said...

Hey Dick why didn't you get an interview with Vinney? Would love to know what he has to say to you.

Anonymous said...

nonymous said...

Hey Mr.Seeley who is attacking who publicly. You did contact the paper correct, and your purpose was to what show that the Shanks lawsuit was false. The Shanks lawsuit was in the paper because it is public knowledge when a lawsuit is filed. You stated in your article to the paper that you "would quit if you didn't like something and you voulnteered for it". Well Mr. Seely you should tell us what have you vouleenteered for because I and others would like to know what you have done for the commmunity that you haven't gotten paid for? On that note Mr. Seely please fill us in as to what is the difference between not liking something and making others lives miserable and difference of opnion and trying to change something so it runs more effeicntly, meaning that you seem to be the expert at this knowledge you should let us know as we the voting public want to make sure we don't voulnteer to make lives miserable. Also Mr. Seeley it is interesting that you should refer to this blog site in your article to the paper as you have been mentioned on here. Also Mr. Seeley isn't true that Sherlock has not openly attacked anyone on this site but others have in the comments section. Oh Mr. Seeley please tell us when is the FBI coming to investigate the blog! You seem to think that the rest of the community is stupid and can't read between the lines. Funny how you refer to the Shanks being assaulted outside their home that is in the Village of Catskill by the same women that has been spotted on your arm around the Village. A Fine oiled machine you refer to the firehouse being when did that happen because Mr. Seeley had you been invovlved in the community you would know that the Fire house has never beeen a fine oiled machine, there was tension between firehouses when there were more stations through out the Village. When lies are told and lives are put in danger then there is friction. Full time job damn straight the majority of men have full time jobs at the firehouse and many of them work shift work, that in the afternoon and midday they are at home, are you trying to imply the disgruntle firemen don't have full time jobs. Just in case you didn't know they do ALL of them, not the majority. As for you stating that this "a pathetic attempt to hide behind a mothers skirt" you should really look at all the facts before you make a public statement. Why shouldn't Joel have contacted a lawyer you didn't seem to "respond in a immediate and decisive descion" when it was brought to the attention of the Village board that there was illegal things happening at the firehouse; ie, drunks at fire scences, sex on the pool table with minors, acohol at the fire house after there was not suppose to be any acohol at the station. You didn't seem to respond when it was brought to the boards attention that lives where in danger from having faulty equipment.
You Mr.Seeley are a disgrace without honor you have told bold face lies about the facts regarding our community as a whole! You were elected to hold office in the best interest of this community it is obvious you choose to hold only a fews best interest. "A handful of firefighters" would they be the only ones not married into or somehow related to the same people that have run that Fire House for a half of century. Disgruntle about consiladation you should talk to the whole fire department the Shanks were not the disgruntle ones, maybe annoyed about the illegal and ridiculuous sale of a fire truck that was in better shape then the fire truck that hose one had. Disgruntle lets tell the truth Mr. Selley was the it the Shanks that tried to hold up consiladation about who owned truck that was purchased with tax dollars, disgruntle did the Shanks steal equipment from the firehouse to form their own department. Oh thats right Mr. Seeley they didn't it was your friends! I address this to you Mr. Seeley because it is apparent you read this blog.
Famous last words Mr. Seeley the "few disgruntle members are no longer a problem" isn't that what you stated at a dinner? I guess the problem has gone public!

12/20/2006 11:33 AM

Anonymous said...

Hey Dick, Any reason you keep deleting my comments?

I'm anonymous because I don't want the police and the fire department boys attacking me or my family.

They are going to get really desperate once everything starts getting reveiled once and for all!

Anonymous said...

Dick I am a chief from the mountaintop and finally the people of Catskill will know what the firefighting community in Greene county all ready knows.Catskill is always the most intoxicated co. at every convention.They always have young fire groupies hanging out with them.Who also appear to be drunk.They constantly crowd the stage at trophy time and show no consideration for anyone else.They chanted in Pallenville 350 calls a year because one of there trucks one a trophy.Well for people with so many calls they should be proficient at what they do and not need so much mutual-aid.It seems they have a love affair with Hudson.Every one in the county can run a call in catskill its hudson, hudson oh and hudson.The rest of this county is closenit and works well together.Maybe this lawsuit will finally expose all the evilness these bandits stand for and they can rebuild and be a respected co. in this county instead of beligerent entretainment.I would be humiliated if a mardi-gras parade annoited me chief o-my-god come on boys see the big picture and grow up.P.S.Dick I dont know you but how about a mountain top correspondant?You were the first real info blog in this county congrats.

Anonymous said...

Dick,

Can you believe the stupid things vinney said in the daily mail?

Looks like he's guilty and is on some type of guilt driven rampage!

Anonymous said...

Whats wrong with the Dapper Dan

and the Crime Family?

It cab simply be summed up to abuse of power!