Hamlet Happenings: June 2017

by Kathleen Sullivan

The members of Hurleyville-Sullivan First will begin planting their gardens, planters and barrels on Monday, June 5.  Anyone interested in helping, can meet the group at the Hurleyville Firemen’s Park on Main Street at 9 a.m. Don’t forget to bring your gloves and garden tools. Volunteers will be needed to help with watering and weeding throughout the season.

Hurleyville-Sullivan First meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Hurleyville Firehouse. The meetings are open to everyone interested in the revitalization and beautification of Hurleyville.

Please visit www.hurleyvilleny.com for more information about Hurleyville and Hurleyville-Sullivan First.

“LION OF ANACOSTIA: The Last Interview of Frederick Douglass” will be performed at the Sullivan County Museum on Sunday, July 2 at 2 p.m. The play explores the collaboration between Douglass and Susan B. Anthony from the Abolition Era through the Women’s Suffragette Movement. The museum has scheduled this performance to coincide with Douglass’ renowned Fourth of July oration.  The presentation is being offered as a fundraiser for the museum and will be followed by a question and answer discussion with the playwright, Gregory F. Giblin, and the cast. Light refreshments will also be available.

Plans are in the works at the museum for the formal unveiling of the prototype of the bagel making machine invented and patented by Hurleyville inventor Lebel Wichinsky. The event will be held on Saturday, August 12, the day before the Bagel Festival in Monticello.

The museum will also host a Book Fair on August 12. The fair will feature authors and illustrators who were born in Sullivan County, who live in Sullivan County, or who have published books on Sullivan County. Please contact Suzanne Cecil at the museum for information on participating in the event.  Suzanne’s email address is genealogy@scnyhistory.org.

Interesting and educational exhibits at the museum include:

  • Sullivan County Wildlife Exhibit
  • The General Store
  • The Woodstock Festival
  • A History of Sullivan County Farms
  • The Military Room
  • Early Sullivan County
  • The Borscht Belt
  • The Frederick A. Cooke Gallery

The Sullivan County Historical Society is still accepting donations of yearbooks from Sullivan County high schools and Sullivan County Community College. Yearbooks from the Fallsburg High School for the years before 1947 and for the years 1951, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1965, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1980, 1983, and for the years after 1987 are needed to help make the collection complete.

Volunteers are needed at the museum.  Anyone interested in exploring genealogy and the history of life in Sullivan County can call Pat Burns at the museum. The museum’s phone number is 845-434-8044.

The museum, located at 265 Main Street in Hurleyville, is open on Sunday from 1p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30.p.m.

Please visit www.scnyhistory.org for more information on the Sullivan County Historical Society and the Sullivan County Museum.
The congregation of the Hurleyville United Methodist Church will miss Pastor Melvin Boone. He has been appointed to a church in Brooklyn. Pastor Boone has performed many good works during his time in Hurleyville. His replacement will be announced shortly.

The Bread of Life Food Pantry at the church is open each Thursday (except the first Thursday of each month) from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The volunteers at the food pantry also provide free clothing for families in need on the last Thursday of each month.

Volunteers at the church host the Community Lunch Program. Dates for the program will be announced on the church’s Facebook page.

The church hosts a Youth Group on Fridays from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Young people are invited to join in a variety of activities including board games, trivia, movie nights, arts and crafts. Upcoming dates are June 9, June 30, July 7, July 14, July 28, August 4 and August 18.

A Bible study group is held at the church on every Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Please call Katrina at 845-436-7942 for more information or if you can help with any of these activities.

Vendors, environmental groups and community organizations are invited to participate in the third annual “What the Hill?” Friend-Raiser Festival hosted by the Columbia Hill Neighborhood Alliance.  Contact Donna, 845-800-5402, or MaryAnn, 845-798-5418, for more information or to reserve a space.

The festival will be held at the Hurleyville Fire House on Sunday, August 27 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. and will feature live entertainment, fun activities for kids of all ages and local artisans and vendors.

Visitors to the festival will have an opportunity to learn how irresponsible development and poor planning can adversely affect our environment and our quality of life.

The event is open to the public and admission is free. Refreshments will be available.

Parking will be available at the fire house at 166 Main St. in Hurleyville.

CHNA volunteers are dedicated to the preservation of the very special rural community character of Thompson and Fallsburg, protection of the natural resource base and encouragement of smart growth.  High density, multi-family projects are not suitable for our current land capacity or for the future of the Catskill region. We can develop responsibly and protect our environment only when we insure our community infrastructure is balanced and sustainable.

Visit CHNA at www.columbiahill.org or on Facebook for more information.