Hamlet Happenings: December 2020

HAMLET HAPPENINGS: December 2020 by Kathleen Sullivan

HURLEYVILLE FIRE DISTRICT ELECTION
The annual election of the Hurleyville Fire District will take place on Tuesday, December 8, from 6 until 9 p.m. at the Hurleyville Fire House.
The purpose of the election is to elect one Commissioner for a five-year term, beginning on January 1, 2021 and ending on December 31, 2025.
All voters registered with the Sullivan County Board of Elections on or before November 16, 2020 and residing within the Hurleyville Fire District are eligible to vote.
Social distancing will be observed and masks must be worn.

HURLEYVILLE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
The bells at the Hurleyville Methodist Church will ring at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve before an online Christmas Eve service that will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Facebook.

The church is open for Sunday services. The Bible study group meets at the church every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Protocols for social distancing, disinfection and cleaning are being followed. Masks must be worn.

Pastor Jorge is delivering sermons online on Facebook at 11 a.m. on Sundays.

The volunteers at the Bread of Life Food Pantry provide pre-made boxes of food to individuals and families in need. The food pantry will be open in December only on Thursday, December 17 from 3:00 until 5 p.m.

Personal hygiene products and COVID-19 supplies (masks, hand sanitizer and hand soap) are also being distributed at the food pantry.

You can pray with others over the phone on the church’s prayer line on Sundays from 7 to 8 p.m. The prayer line phone number is 605-472-5491 and the access code is 251678.

“MESSY CHURCH”, Youth Group meetings and the women’s group meetings are cancelled for now.

Please call Katrina at 845-436-7942 for more information. You can also get updates from the church’s page on Facebook.

THE SULLIVAN COUNTY MUSEUM AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The Sullivan County Museum and the Historical Society are still closed to the public because of COVID-19.

The Annual Theme Tree Exhibit at the museum will not be held this year.

Volunteers at the historical society continue to work on research requests.

The Sullivan County Historical Society will hold its annual election via mail this year. Members will receive their ballots in the next Observer newsletter.
Henry and Gordon MacAdam and their committee are working on a display that will encompass two projects: the Hackledam Dam Project that was proposed to be built near Bridgeville in the early 1900’s and One-Room Schoolhouses of the Town of Thompson.

Go to www.scnyhistory.org for more information on the Sullivan County Historical Society and the Sullivan County Museum. You can also visit the Sullivan County Historical Society and Museum on Facebook.

Please email Suzanne Cecil at scecil@hvc.rr.com if you have any questions.

COLUMBIA HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE (CHNA)
The members of Columbia Hill Neighborhood Alliance (CHNA) continue to monitor the status of the Gan Eden project on Columbia Hill and other developments in the towns of Fallsburg and Thompson.

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is still reviewing an application submitted by the developer of Gan Eden seeking the required approval of groundwater withdrawal to supply water to the applicant’s proposed public water supply system. The DRBC’s website to track this project (Docket #, D-2017-002 CP-1) is www.nj.gov/drbc/programs/projects/pr/status-pg.html.

Environmental elements and issues that the developer of Gan Eden must address and incorporate into the new DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) under the NYS SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act) law include:
o water supply
o wastewater treatment plants – type, continued maintenance, disposal route of treated wastewater
o storm water runoff
o increased traffic
o noise and light pollution
o protection of wildlife and natural resources
o electric supply

The final document will be submitted to the Town of Thompson Planning Board and will be subject to public review and comment followed by a public hearing before the DEIS is considered for approval and acceptance. Then the Planning Board will begin to review the applicant’s site plan application which will require another public hearing before any approval to allow site work to commence.

Visit CHNA at www.columbiahill.org or on Facebook to learn how you can help to protect your environment and your community.