HAMLET HAPPENINGS
by Kathleen Sullivan
June 2022
HURLEYVILLE-SULLIVAN FIRST
Here are some of the projects that the volunteers in Hurleyville-Sullivan First will be working on this year:
• the signs at the entrances to Hurleyville
• the signs at the Rails to Trails entrance
• the historical kiosk at the Hurleyville Firemen’s Park
• the Little Free Library at the Hurleyville Firemen’s Park
Annuals and perennials were added to the stone planters at the entrances to Hurleyville, to the stone planter at the firehouse and to the barrels on Main Street. The planters and barrels have to be weeded and watered regularly. Please let one of the members of Hurleyville-Sullivan First know if you can help. You can send an email…izzysaunt@verizon.net. You can phone…MaryAnn (845-798-5418), Denise (845-807-7797) or Kathleen (845-707-9810).
Funding for the group’s projects was made possible in part by a Beautification Grant from Sullivan Renaissance.
Please visit www.hurleyvilleny.com for more information about Hurleyville-Sullivan First. You can also visit Hurleyville-Sullivan First on Facebook.
HURLEYVILLE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
The Bread of Life Food Pantry at the church will be open on Thursday, June 23 and on Thursday, June 30 from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m.
Sunday services at the church begin at 9:00am. Children of all ages are invited to attend Sunday school at the church during services.
Pastor Jorge delivers sermons online on Facebook at 11 a.m. on Sundays.
The Bible study group meets in the sanctuary at the church every Tuesday at 7 p.m.
You can pray with others over the phone on the church’s prayer line on Sundays from 7 – 8 p.m. The prayer line phone number is 605-472-5491 and the access code is 251678.
The next “Messy Church” is Saturday, June 11 at 5 p.m. Youngsters attending this monthly event enjoy arts & crafts, games, music, singing and other activities while learning about the Bible in a fun way. A kid-friendly dinner will be served, too. Children taking part in the fun must be accompanied by an adult.
The women’s group at the church, Women in Faith, is gathering items including disposable diapers, new socks, new underwear, gently used clothing and gently used toys for infants and children from newborn to 12 years old who are in foster care. Items will also be donated to THE GRANDPARENTS PROGRAM. The program assists grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren who otherwise would be placed in foster care.
Please call Katrina at 845-436-7942 for more information on services and activities at the church. You can also get updates at the church’s page on Facebook.
THE SULLIVAN COUNTY MUSEUM AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The museum, located at 265 Main Street in Hurleyville, is open on Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. Donations to meet the escalating cost of operating the museum are always welcome.
The Dirty Stay Out Skifflers will be the featured performers at the Historical Society’s First Sunday Concert on June 5 at 2 p.m. The group’s creative blend of blues, folk and Tin Pan Alley pop has been enjoyed by folks nationally and internationally for more than twenty years. Band members include Grammy winner Rick Nestler on 12-string guitar and vocals, Dan Berger on harmonica and Donna Nestler on banjolele and vocals. Admission is free but donations to support the program are always appreciated.
The Sullivan County Historical Society will recognize Hurleyville Fire Company No. 1 on Saturday, June 18. The fire department is celebrating its Centennial Anniversary this year. An open house will be held at the museum from 2 to 4 p.m. The event will feature a display of Hurleyville Fire Company memorabilia.
The Frederick Cook Society will host a reception at the museum on Friday, July 10 at 5 p.m. The event will feature an exhibition of photographs taken by Dr. Frederick Cook from 1891-1908. The photographs were taken during Dr. Cook’s expeditions to Greenland, Antarctica, Tierra del Fuego, Mount Denali and the North Pole. There will also be a presentation and book signing by Julian Sanction, author of Madhouse at the End of the Earth. The book tells the story of a three-year expedition intended to reach Antarctica that became stuck for months in the icy Bellingshausen Sea.
The opening of the Neversink-Hackledam Dam Exhibit will be held on Sunday, July 24 at 2 p.m. at the museum.
Sullivan County Historical Society Board member Myron Gittell received the James W. Burbank Award from The Delaware Company at this season’s opening of Fort Delaware on May 21. The organization’s award is presented each year to the person or persons who made a significant contribution to local history during the past year. Myron worked for ten years to republish the classic Manville Wakefield book “To the Mountains by Rail” in 2021.
Volunteers are available to help visitors explore the historical and genealogical resources at the Historical Society’s archives at the museum. The archives are open on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment.
Guided tours of the museum…behind the scenes and regular exhibits…are available. There is no charge for the hour-long tours but registration is required. Please call 845-434-8044 to make a reservation.
Go to www.scnyhistory.org to learn about the Sullivan County Historical Society and the Sullivan County Museum. You can also visit the Sullivan County Historical Society and Museum on Facebook.
Please call the museum at 845-434-8044 or email info@scnyhistory.org for more information.
COLUMBIA HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE (CHNA)
Members of CHNA plan to meet with Fallsburg Supervisor Katherine Rappaport again soon. The group met with the supervisor and one of the town’s managers in April and shared information on some of the potential negative impacts that the proposed Gan Eden Estates development project on Columbia Hill would have on the Town of Fallsburg and, in particular, the hamlet of Hurleyville:
• The scope of the project – 534 townhouses, 89 buildings, community center, pool, athletic courts and fields, 400,000-gallon water tank, over 2 miles of interior roads
• A major impact on municipal and private water supply – primary wells for Gan Eden are in the Town of Fallsburg
• Threatening effect on neighboring wells as far away as Mongaup Road
• Adverse effect on neighboring wetlands
• A dangerous effect on firefighting needs
• Harmful effects of runoff – flooding on Main Street, Columbia Drive and Mongaup Road, danger to downhill wells, flooding of Congregation Anschei Cemetery
• Wastewater treatment plant discharge via a ditch, not a pipe – a threat to residences, Fallsburg town wells, Congregation Anschei Cemetery
• Wastewater treatment plant failure – a threat to residences, Fallsburg town wells, Congregation Anschei Cemetery
• Questionable structural integrity of on-site dam with 3-acre pond
• Hazards of increased traffic
• Hazards of entrances to the development
Ms. Rappaport planned to have the engineer for the town investigate the project’s effects on Fallsburg. She will also meet with the town attorney to gather more information and will then schedule a follow-up meeting with CHNA.
The members of CHNA continue to follow and to provide input on the ongoing process.
Visit CHNA at www.columbiahill.org and on Facebook to learn how you can help to protect your environment and your community.