By Kathleen Sullivan
HURLEYVILLE – Sullivan First was awarded a Maintenance Program grant at the Sullivan Renaissance Spring Forum on April 20. The grant will be used for the care of projects that continue to make Hurleyville an oasis in the Town of Fallsburg.
Volunteers will be needed to help get gardens, planters and barrels ready for planting. Work dates will be announced soon.
Some members of the group have already been hard at work picking up the litter on Columbia Hill and Main Street.
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.
The Sullivan County Museum and the Sullivan County Historical Society are looking for volunteers. 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.
Exhibits at the museum include:
- Sullivan County Wildlife Exhibit features mounted birds, mammals and fish native to Sullivan County.
- The General Store displays items that were available at the commercial centers of towns in the 1800s.
- The Woodstock Festival provides a history of the land on which the festival was held as well as a look at the legendary celebration of rock and folk music.
- A History of Sullivan County Farms showcases photographs and authentic farm equipment and tools.
- The Military Room gives well-deserved recognition to Sullivan County veterans from the Civil War through Desert Storm.
- Early Sullivan County displays original memorabilia that depict two centuries of life in Sullivan County.
- The Borscht Belt provides a record of this unique era in the Catskills.
- The Frederick A. Cook Gallery features the largest public collection of artifacts from the expeditions of the pioneer Polar explorer.
A prototype of the bagel making machine invented and patented by Hurleyville inventor Lebel Wichinsky is also on display at the museum.
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.
The museum, located at 265 Main Street in Hurleyville, is open on Sunday from 1 p.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 Bread of Life Food Pantry at the Hurleyville United Methodist 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. Upcoming dates will be announced on the church’s page on Facebook.
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 May 5, May 19, June 2, June 9, and June 16.
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.
The Columbia Hill Neighborhood Alliance (CHNA) will host the third annual “What the Hill” Friend-Raiser Festival at the Hurleyville Fire House on Sunday, Aug. 27 at 11 a.m.
The festival 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 about important environmental issues that responsible development demands…our water, our wells and wildlife.
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.
Spaces are available for vendors, environmental groups and community organizations. Contact Donna, 845-800-5402, or MaryAnn, 845-798-5418, for more information or to reserve a space.
CHNA volunteers are dedicated to the preservation of the very special rural community character of the towns 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.