By John Bernhardt
It just might become a save-the-date event. If the turnout and good feel of Thursday’s Community Picnic and Remembrance are indicators, the Community Picnic could become a staple of the local summer calendar.

You could find all the gentle, wholesome, personal touches that come with small town life at the picnic. Hot dogs on the grill, homemade ice cream sundaes, and the laughter and neighborly conversation that comes with the same texture of two neighbors chatting while leaning over the sides of a white picket fence were a big part of the night.

By Jay Braman Jr.
As Fleischmanns residents continue to be told not to expect the Bridge Street bridge to be replaced, a special meeting concerning all of the village’s bridges will take place this Thursday in the Skene Memorial Library at 6 p.m.

And it is expected that many residents will not take things lying down.
The Bridge Street bridge site, located a stone’s throw from the old Roberts’ Auction Barn, has always been a convenient way to and from Main Street to Wagner Avenue and the village park. That all ended one year ago when tropical storm Irene destroyed the bridge.

Margaretville — A year ago Hurricane Irene put the Margaretville Food Bank out of business for more than three months. But thanks to the Interfaith Council and devoted volunteers it was up and running, in a somewhat diminished capacity, in November of last year serving their client base.
Under direction of new coordinators, Joyce St George and Frank Canavan, the Margaretville Food Pantry reopened on August 20 at a new location on Route 28 under a new name, “The Community Pantry.”

Helping others

Staff report
Part-time New Kingston resident David France is making his directorial debut.  France, who splits his time between New York City and the Catskills, has a new documentary entitled, “How to Survive a Plague.” It hits theaters on September 21.

Based on some very favorable screenings, including one which took place at The Roxbury Arts Group, the film is already generating early Oscar buzz. So far, the film is slated to be shown at a number of Landmark Theaters in 28 cities, as well as the IFC Center in New York City, said France.

Margaretville — New York State Senator James Seward, who will represent this area starting in January, visited Prattsville, Grand Gorge, Roxbury, and Margaretville on Tuesday, Aug. 28 to familiarize himself with the area and its needs. His visit in Margaretville was hosted by the Margaretville Area Tea Party.

Staff report
This week’s predicted thunderstorms, courtesy of the remnants from Tropical Storm Issac, may be just what the Catskills need.

The region has been so parched in recent weeks that the Town of Andes issued an advisory asking residents to conserve water. Portions of Delaware County, including Andes, have been experiencing abnormally dry weather. “

We don’t want people to panic, but the water table is low,” said Andes Supervisor Marty Donnelly “We’re asking them to conserve water now, so we won’t have a problem later.”

Margaretville — A Hurricane Irene Remembrance and Community Picnic will be held at Margaretville Central School on Thursday, Aug. 30 starting at 5 p.m.

The free event gets underway with a picnic on the school grounds. Refreshments will include hot dogs, soft drinks along with an ice cream social complete with all the fixings, donated by Stewart Shops.

Dollar General also made a generous donation to the event, providing rolls and condiments among other items.

The theme of the night will be “Remembrance, Recovery Outreach and Information.”

Staff Report
As Margaretville prepared to mark the one-year anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene, a new effort was underway to help revitalize the flood-damaged village. The goal is to get the village’s picturesque stream, known as “The Binnekill,” flowing again after it started  to run dry about five months ago.

According to Mayor Bill Stanton, village officials signed an agreement last week with landowner Lauren Davis, that would allow workmen to enter the stream from his property in order to clear flood debris that was deposited there by Irene.

By Jay Braman Jr.
The Shandaken Town Board received bids Monday on the first anniversary of the massive damage brought on by Tropical Storm Irene on two large stream restoration projects near Phoenicia, with both combined bringing a total of almost $4 million.

Both projects are necessary due to damage that occurred during that storm and its little brother, Lee, which hit only days afterwards.

By Jay Braman Jr.
The Coalition of Watershed Towns has agreed to a fact-finding mission geared toward getting to the bottom of what the Catskill Watershed Corporation (CWC) can or cannot do for the homeowners in Phoenicia, where a multi-million dollar sewer plan was recently rejected by the Shandaken Town Board.