Friends of Beaverkill Community

Friends of the Beaverkill Community (FOBC)

DRAFT Strategic Plan of Action

2024 – 2025 and beyond

FOBC LEADERSHIP TEAM and areas of interest

• Siobhan “Sam” Bennett – FOBC President [Grants, Branding/Communications]
• Brian Sullivan – FOBC Vice-President [TBD]
• Josh Grier – FOBC Treasurer [Internal finances and DEC collaborations]
• Colleen Connell – FOBC Secretary [TBD]
• Chris Kissock – past FOBC President [Communications, Branding etc]
• Patricia Adams – FOBC Founder [Advisor]

ACTION SUMMARY 

2024

• September First new Executive Team meeting DONE 
• November/December Draft Strategic Plan of Action
• November Email all membership with calendar (Christmas Eve Service etc.)

2025 and Beyond

• Jan/Feb Zoom Call with all FOBC Membership – Strategic Plan Rollout and feedback
• April/May 2025, the leadership team will roll out the Goals to the FOBC community
• More to follow

DRAFT ACTIONS 2025 – Goal find projects to undertake, as well as provide mechanisms to grow and enhance the community

• ADMINISTRATION 
  • Confirm existing committees and consider additional committees as needed
  • Recruit strong FOBC members to join/lead above Committee [Siobhan]
• SOCIAL – lean into the social underpinnings of FOBC
  • SUNDAY JUNE 1, 2025 – SIGNS OF SPRING – EMAILS TO ALL – WELCOMING COMMENTS – NEW SUGGESTED Memorial Day Weekend Membership Picnic  – confirm (kicks off the season) [Siobhan and Josh]
    • The Annual Picnic is important. There had previously been a picnic at the beginning of Spring which could possibly be re-established. It created a “beginning of the summer” vibe that is different from the end of the summer one. Josh reported there is $4,200 available in the FOBC account for social events. [Josh]
  • Annual FOBC Membership Picnic [All]
  • Christmas Caroling remains a key event to draw the community together, in addition to the annual picnics. It is important to continue to host this event. [All]
  • Other

• BEAVERKILL IMPROVEMENTS and ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
  • D.E.C 
    • Thank and recognize D.E.C. the GOOD work they are doing [Patricia]
    • Collaborate with D.E.C. 
      • On 20 warning signs on and around the Covered Bridge and people still crash into the markers.  So why do we need so many signs? Do you think if FOBC — do we still have a campsite committee? suggest to the state or Highway Dept that one or two would be sufficient.There once was a suggestion — highway dept I believe— that there be lights shining all night.  Thank heavens that didn’t go through. [Patricia]
      • Remove terrible weed taking over the sandy beach— no reason to leave it there. Particularly when the rest of the campsite is greatly improved over the past couple of years and is beautiful.  [Patricia]
    • FOBC being assigned to be the local stewards of the DEC Program for the campsite, and the recent re-application by the FOBC to retain that assignment. [Josh]
    • Find DEC replacement for  Bill Rudge (sic) to identify possible future projects with the DEC. The Parks & Trails Organization of NY State seeks organizations like FOBC for its projects, however it has historically wanted larger and more professional entities for grant giving.  [Josh]
    • Other
  • Continued Improvements other Hiking Trail along Beaverkill River to campsite (D.E.C. and/or other partnership)
  • Training and social FOBC events focused on 
    • invasive species eradication (D.E.C. and/or other partnership) [Siobhan]
    • Planting and supporting native pollinators (possible partnership with Catskill Mountainkeeper) [Siobhan]
  • Partner with Beaverkill Community Church
    • Lemonade and cookies after service [Siobhan]
    • Music/other from FOBC members [Siobhan]
  • Beaverkill Valley Land Trust (BVLT) can collaborate with buying and protecting land, according to Patricia. She will send minutes to the FOBC officers which include information on the work of BVLT. Prior engagement with BVLT and Kate O’Connor got local people to have their trees treated. FOBC can align with BVLT and other organizations to amplify their voices. [Patricia]
  • Iron Bridge Old Barn and School, which are sitting empty, located across the iron bridge. She thought there may be a possibility of using them for the community to meet, as a mini-museum, etc. The structures could potentially be restored or moved. [Patricia]

• GRANT WRITING 
  • Write assertive grants for above projects – we feel there are significant funds we can attract.  S. Bennett has extensive experience writing and managing large grants both vocational and avocational [Siobhan]
  • Other

• BRANDING and COMMUNICATIONS
  • SIOBHAN AND COLLEEN will work on collecting stories from Ragin and Elm Hollow Roads respectively – and will invite members to send their own and any corrections needed for future stories.  All stories will be posted on FOBC website + collected for future publication. Stories of the Beaverkill FOBC Stories could be a third book/edition. Siobhan noted that she intends to write the stories of Ragin Road. She also knows of writers who are available to transcribe stories as was done for the Roscoe community. Colleen stated that her husband and sister-in-law are interested in writing/sharing family stories from Elm Hollow Road. [Siobhan/Colleen]
  • Website – Update the website and Instagram page for FOBC, as noted above. Suggestions were made to add a “Donate Here” button on the website. Consider changing the photo on the website to reflect the four seasons, keeping the website fresh and not stale. The website is a good way/place to rejuvenate the FOBC membership. [Josh]
  • Email List – Using the email list is important for FOBC’s communication balance the importance of email etiquette and manage expectations to avoid people unsubscribing due to being annoyed.  [Chris]
  • Membership Dues – decision to curtail dues paying during the Covid pandemic due to lack of events or projects. He thought the FOBC officers should discuss whether to reinstate dues paying which could lead to more engagement by members. The FOBC can raise money as a 501c3. [Chris]
  • Branding – Chris discussed his branding expertise and offered to help FOBC with that.

Friends of the Beaverkill Community (FOBC)

Officers Meeting Minutes

9/17/2024

Attendees:

Siobhan Loizeaux Bennett, President

Josh Grier, Treasurer

Colleen Connell, Secretary

Patricia Adams, Founder

Christopher Kissock, Past President

Absent:

Brian Sullivan, Vice President

Patricia Adams provided a history of FOBC including its original vision and goals. The original four goals were  (1) the Beaverkill Community Church, (2) the Beaverkill Campsite, (3) the Beaverkill Covered Bridge, and (4) the Iron Bridge over the Beaverkill River. All four goals were met; each of the four projects were repaired and retained for current and future use. Now the job of the FOBC is to find projects to undertake, as well as provide mechanisms to grow and enhance the community, according to Patricia.

Josh discussed the FOBC having a structure and a fundamental purpose of being a neighborhood collective with visual projects. He discussed the FOBC being assigned to be the local stewards of the DEC Program for the campsite, and the recent re-application by the FOBC to retain that assignment. Josh had a contact at the DEC, Bill Rudge (??) and the need to find Bill’s replacement for identify possible future projects with the DEC. The Parks & Trails Organization of NY State seeks organizations like FOBC for its projects, however it has historically wanted larger and more professional entities for grant giving.

Josh stated the FOBC’s 200+ email list is a free, easy, and effective communication tool that is unique to FOBC. The website and Instagram page need to be updated on a regular basis. This is a possible project. The Annual Picnic is important. There had previously been a picnic at the beginning of Spring which could possibly be re-established. It created a “beginning of the summer” vibe that is different than the end of the summer one. Josh reported there is $4,200 available in the FOBC account for social events. 

Chris discussed his original interest in helping with communication, which is his background, and in environmental protection. Using the email list is important for FOBC’s communication, however, he stressed the importance of email etiquette and managed expectations to avoid people unsubscribing due to being annoyed. Chris referenced the decision to curtail dues paying during the Covid pandemic due to lack of events or projects. He thought the FOBC officers should discuss whether to reinstate dues paying which could lead to more engagement by members. The FOBC can raise money as a 501c3. Lastly, Chris discussed his branding expertise and offered to help FOBC with that.

The goal for this FOBC Leadership Team is to create an action plan that can energize FOBC membership around – simple, leveraged, strategic – and most importantly, doable projects. 

Goals identified for future consideration were:

1. Beaverkill Valley Land Trust (BVLT) can collaborate with buying and protecting land, according to Patricia. She will send minutes to the FOBC officers which include information on the work of BVLT. Prior engagement with BVLT and Kate O’Connor got local people to have their trees treated. FOBC can align with BVLT and other organizations to amplify their voices.
2. FOBC Stories could be a third book/edition. Siobhan noted that she intends to write the stories of Ragin Road. She also knows of writers who are available to transcribe stories as was done for the Roscoe community. Colleen stated that her husband and sister-in-law are interested in writing/sharing family stories from Elm Hollow Road. 
3. Christmas Caroling remains a key event to draw the community together, in addition to the annual picnics. It is important to continue to continue to host this event.
4. Update the website and Instagram page for FOBC, as noted above. Suggestions were made to add a “Donate Here” button on the website. Josh suggested changing the photo on the website to reflect the four seasons, keeping the website fresh and not stale. The website is a good way/place to rejuvenate the FOBC membership.
5. Patricia mentioned an old barn and school, which are sitting empty, located across the iron bridge. She thought there may be a possibility of using them for the community to meet, as a mini-museum, etc. The structures could potentially be restored or moved.

Follow up items:

 1) Colleen and Siobhan will put draft “Goals for 2025-2026” together in Google Shared Drive and share with our leadership team for everyone’s input. 

 2) We will plan on an introduction email to all members in Oct/early Nov (before holiday madness starts) with a reminder of the Christmas Eve carol sing and an invitation to Jan/Feb 2025 membership Zoom call.

 3) At the Jan/Feb 2025 membership Zoom call, we will present and welcome feedback and  input on “Goals for 2025-2026”.

 4) In April/May 2025, the leadership team will roll out the Goals to the FOBC community.

By Patricia Adams

Roger spent a great deal of time in the Beaverkill with his parents as a child. In 1967, living in New York City with his wife Ginny and two children, Tom and Liz he learned of a cottage here for sale. He and Ginny bought it from Lucy Ackerly. It was in the field behind our house overlooking the Beaverkill River. Like many of us at that time, the Lawrences  came up from New York City on weekends and Ginny spent summers here with their children.

Beaverkill was a wonderful community with young families moving here—all with ‘handyman specials’ to fix up and use. The Lawrence’s cabin was a special challenge in the winter. It was a primitive little cottage—water supply was through a hose from the river, minimum electricity, wood stoves for heat and no insulation. They would drive up from the city Friday night, in their black Checker, which Roger had bought to give plenty of room for the family traveling. The first stop was at Lucy’s house.  While Ginny sat inside visiting with Lucy, and Liz and Tom also inside where it was warm, Roger pulled the toboggan with supplies through the snow up the hill to their cabin and built fires in the wood stoves. 

This weekly pattern was changed in 1981 when the United Nations, where he had been working for several years in NYC, transferred him and his family to the UN in Geneva, Switzerland as member and then head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development.  He stayed with this job for 25 years and was then a foreign consultant in Cambodia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Roger was a wonderful conversationist, widely traveled, and gave depth and perception to historical happenings. David Barnes remembers:

As a fellow (but much less deep) language lover I enjoyed discussing arcane points of syntactical differences or similarities – of course, his phenomenal memory meant that he was almost always in command, and I would follow meekly along.  I still envy his incredibly wide international experience and will always remember him sitting on our porch pointing out details of plants and birds that I had not noticed.

His ability and interest in discussing world events was paired with his intense interest in the natural world around him.

For instance, in an email to me, responding to my concern about Ukraine, he wrote.

The world has gone berserk, and has done so just when I believed we were making good progress toward a peaceful international order. 

Facing all of this, I fall back on the message Voltaire gave us in Candide. Faced with the disasters—natural and man-made—that Candide encountered, Voltaire’s advice was “…make your garden grow,” i.e. focus on the things in your immediate environment over which you have some agency, do what you can to make that environment civilized, peaceful, and supportive of all who are in it, and forget the rest. What I am most thankful for, this Thanksgiving, is that I have the good fortune to live, in Beaverkill and in Del Mar, with others who share this objective.

In Beaverkill, he was a keen observer on the land around him.

He wrote in an email;

For several days I have been aware that some birds up my way were flashing blue when they flew off, but was unsure what to make of it. Yesterday, and again today, they conveniently posed for me on my red lawn chairs. There was no doubt. They are Eastern Bluebirds. This is the first time I have seen them in the Beaverkill. 

Keep an eye out. They will be down your way.

His son Tom Wrote;

Beaverkill was my dad’s home. Of all the places he traveled to and lived, Beaverkill was where he wanted to be. He would have lived there full time if it had been practical. That was his community.

Roger had a brilliant mind and was also a good friend to many of us here in the Beaverkill. He will be fondly remembered and missed.

Our friend and neighbor Stuart Root passed away this past Saturday. A memorial service for Stuart will be held this summer in the Beaverkill Community Church.

Below, members of the friends share their remembrances. An obituary that has been prepared by the family can be found on the website of Greico Funeral home.

Shared by Patricia Adams

Stuart started coming to the Beaverkill in the early 70s’s with his four children who were still very young. He married Pat, who had three children and their home here was filled with activity and visitors. They hosted some of the early Christmas Eve Open Houses.  Pat and Stuart were instrumental in establishing and carrying on the Labor Day Tennis Tournament.

From early on, Stuart worked with the Open Space Institute in the Beaverkill, identifying properties that needed protecting and helping with the legal issues involved in land preservation.

He also led us in the celebration of music. He founded our Beaverkill Community Church Choir. He chose the music, made copies for the singers, worked with Sean, our accompanist and was always on the look out for singers —whether young adults or retirees.  The music Stuart chose is still the choir’s  basic repertoire.

Stuart also produced a “Summer Musicale” for a number of summers in the church. He encouraged people who perhaps had never performed to join in and sing or play an instrument. These Musicales were always a great success and a wonderful way for the community to be together.

Perhaps Stuart is best remembered as the ‘Master of Ceremonies” at the Christmas Eve Service at the Beaverkill Community Church. He chose the carols, the Bible readings and led the services with humor and great warmth.

Most of all he was a great friend with a penchant for telling stories about his home town Chagrin Falls, Ohio—stories we all loved. He will be greatly missed.

A memorial service for Stuart will be held this summer in the Beaverkill Community Church.

— Patricia Adams

Shared by Ed Cerny

Even though inevitable and expected, the death of a friend is hard to take.

I knew him and worked with him in all the activities you mention over many years, I think it must be over twenty. He had a long and impressive pedigree in the practice of law in the City from which he acquired much wisdom about how things work and should work, a wisdom which I saw on display on many occasions.

When he was directing hymns, we were never allowed to sing “Amen” at the end, even when written in the music. I learned all kinds of things from him, including that when a piece we would sing for an anthem or introit suddenly ended in a different key it was called a “Picardy,” meaning a happy resolution to the piece. Stuart was fascinated by this musical device and never missed an opportunity to remark upon it. According to people who know about such things, “Western composers, expressing the ‘rightness’ of happiness by means of a major third, expressed the ‘wrongness’ of grief by means of the minor third, and for centuries, pieces in a minor key had to have a ‘happy ending’ – a final major chord (the ‘tierce de Picardie’) or a bare fifth.” On thinking about this, I am hopeful that Stuart’s life ended in a Picardy, but with an “Amen.”

— Ed Cerny

With Christmas Eve temperatures dipping to zero degrees, we realized having the Christmas Eve Carol Sing in the church was impossible. Even with the electric heaters on all day — we would have been lucky to get it up to twenty degrees.
   
So the sing was held at the Adams house. Bob Jones led the singing with Brandon Sparkman on piano. Even though we sang four or five songs instead of fifteen, it was great fun.

There were about sixty people singing, perhaps more. But there was room for all and some desert. The pictures attached could be labeled “Make a Joyful Noise”.  Happy New Year to all.

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Following a wonderful string quartet concert at the Church, featuring JENN AHN MISNER and guest members of the MANOR CAMERATA, the FOBC held its first annual members meeting since 2019. Minutes from the meeting reported by new acting Secretary Barbara Trelstad below.

Minutes of the Friends Of Beaverkill Community

Annual Meeting

Sunday – July 31, 2022

CAMPSITE AND RIVER TRAIL:   Interns Noah and Jordan,  from Catskill Mountainkeeper, gave a presentation on current projects and issues near the Covered Bridge public access area.

FOBC has been involved in several past preservation issues in the area, among them are:  1)  restoration of the covered bridge, 2) restoration and maintenance of the old Methodist church (now Beaverkill Community Church), 3) replacement of the Iron Bridge in Craigie Clair and 4) Issues concerning use (sometimes overuse} and ongoing maintenance of the day use area by the Beaverkill Campsite.

Ongoing projects include clean-up and maintenance of the beach area under and around the Covered Bridge; ongoing conservation issues as the past decade has seen much more use of the beach area under the Covered Bridge.  New York State is trying to minimize overuse which is an ongoing issue.

There is an ongoing concern about overuse.  Communication with users is a major issue, currently there is only one staff member who speaks Spanish, the language of most of the current users.  The presence of household pets and loud music are further issues

The Trap Valley Farm Trail on the opposite side from the Beaverkill Campsite provides access to the meadow abutting what was once Trapp Valley Farm.

CHURCH:  Mary Hall gave a brief report on the church.  The church opened its doors in 1882 as a Methodist Church.  In 2012 conversations were held between valley residents interested in preserving the church and the Methodist Church.  The land that the building sits on is its footprint…no larger.  In 2012 the church was bought by the community and today services take place there on summer Sundays.  Services follow the Methodist liturgy.  Sermons are posted on-line.

BEAVERKILL VALLEY LAND TRUST:  The Beaverkill Valley Land Trust began in the 1970’s.  It is the current owner of Beech Mountain Lake Preserve.  The Preserve has recently been opened to use.  To gain information about use, contact: Info@CatskillMountainKeeper.org.  And to use the cabin call Mountain Keeper for the combination to the lock on the gate.

There is current discussion about a potential “Interpretative Trail” in the area.  This is currently being discussed with the forester and it is hoped that it can be made handicapped accessible.

NEW OFFICERS:  Chris Kissock will take over as President, Judith Katz will be Vice President, Josh Grier will continue as Treasurer and Barbara Trelstad will be Secretary.  We would like to have at least wo other members at large to complete the Board.  Volunteers are welcome.

FOBC EMAIL DATABASE:  Josh asked for emails from all members…he currently has 290, some of which need to be updated.

HISTORICAL ARCHIVE:  Barbara reported that she has been storing the Archive which contains some primary materials referenced for the various books on the history of the Beaverkill along with many photographs of prior events, mainly tennis tournaments.

FOBC BOOKS FOR SALE:  Patricia noted that the History of the Beaverkill books are on sale in Roscoe and there is also a cookbook comprised of recipes from longtime residents on sale in Roscoe as well.

Respectfully submitted

Barbara Trelstad, Secretary

Summer has arrived, and we’re sure there will be a lot going on locally so wanted to let everyone know that FOBC has a couple of events in store on Sunday July 31.

JENN AHN MISNER with members of MANOR CAMERATA

Internationally recognized performer (and local Valley resident) Jenn Ahn will bring her violin and three musical companions back to the area for a string quartet concert at our own Beaverkill Community Church (101 Craigie Clair Road in Roscoe) on July 31.  The concert will begin at 2:00pm.  Tickets are $30 per person will be available at the door, or can be purchased in advance by sending a check (payable to “Friends Of Beaverkill”) to P.O. Box 704 – Roscoe NY 12776.  You can also log-on to our PayPal account via contact@beaverkillfriends.org and reserve your seats there.  If paying online make sure to include your name in the message box.

ANNUAL FRIENDS OF BEAVERKILL COMMUNITY MEMBERS MEETING AND POT LUCK

We’re pleased to bring back our annual members picnic and social gathering (after two years COVID hiatus).  This year’s event will be held at the home of Patricia and John Adams, and will start shortly after the String Quartet performance, around 4:00pm, July 31.More information on this you can email Patricia Adams – pbrandonadams@gmail.com

FOBC member Carl Obecny has – under direction of the DEC – continued his repairs and upgrade to the trail along the Beverkill River across from the Covered Bridge day use area. Carl’s report as follows:

It doesn’t really matter in what part of the world or during what season, there isn’t a much more enjoyable and comforting pastime than a walk along a river. And, here in the Beaverkill River Valley, we are fortunate to have access to one of the most scenic rivers anywhere. However, over the past few years, a section of a favorite trail just below the Beaverkill Covered Bridge on the west side of the river and used by hikers, fishermen, campers and nature lovers was in jeopardy of becoming too dangerous to safely traverse and at risk of being washed out entirely.

While high river levels due to springtime or strong rainstorm flooding have washed away part of the trail, the primary cause of the trail damage was water coming from a spring on the opposite side of the trail from the river and slowly over the years eroding/undercutting the trail along a thirty foot stretch.

In an effort to save the trail, with the assistance of John and Patricia Adams, I contacted the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (“DEC”) and was informed of a program called the “Volunteer Stewardship Program” under which private citizens can be authorized to perform certain work (i.e. trail repair and maintenance) on public lands. I completed the application process and after a few meetings with Cindy Yaekel, the local representative from the DEC, to discuss the nature of the proposed trail repairs and maintenance, my application and the proposed repair and maintenance plans were approved. Subject to the DEC’s oversight, I am now a “Volunteer Steward” in charge of the repair, as necessary, and maintenance of the trail for the next five (5) years.

In December during a period of unusually warm and dry winter weather, I commenced work on the north end of the damaged section of trial with the installation of a 15” diameter culvert pipe approximately eleven feet in length to carry the water flowing from the spring under the trail and to the river. Initially, considering the tenuous conditions of the trial, I was forced to use my relatively light-weight, small BX24 Kubota tractor to do the work. For those who enjoy ice formations, I placed a splash rock below the outlet of the culvert pipe with some brush underneath in the hope of creating some interesting ice formations this winter.

Thereafter, working from the south end (campsite side) of the damaged portion of trail, using a much larger M62 Kubota tractor, I started digging up and moving material from near a large discarded mulch pile located a little further down the trail. My plan was to harvest material from just in front of the pile and then, when finished, fill in the anticipated pit with the mulch. At one time having been river bottom, the material in the area where I was digging up was perfect material (river bottom sand and small stone) for rebuilding and repairing the washed out and undercut portions of the trail. Working forward, I would compact a roughly four foot section of the compromised trail by pounding it down with the tractor backhoe bucket and then cover the newly compacted section with the river bottom material. Interestingly, there were sections that were so dramatically undercut and eroded that when pounded they collapsed as much as three feet. Those sections of trail, had they not been repaired presented a significant danger to anyone attempting to walk on them and would very likely have been entirely washed out within another year or so.

In addition to the water coming from the more active spring and routed thru the first culvert pipe, there was a much smaller amount of water flowing from another spring near the campsite end of the damaged portion of the trail as well as evidence of a substantial amount of spring runoff down the hillside. So, in accordance with the plan, a second 15” diameter culvert pipe approximately fourteen feet in length was installed at that end of the compromised portion of the trail. That culvert pipe, in part, was kindly donated by Siobhan Loizeaux-Bennett and Martin Estrada.

With the trail in far safer condition for all to enjoy and winter setting in, the remaining tasks (installing stonework around the culvert pipe ends, planting grass seed and relocating a few pine trees) will wait until warmer weather returns next spring.     

Local resident Carl Obecny, via his local steward role with the DEC, has been busy in Dave Hoag’s tractor and back-hoe, down by the river just downstream from the Beaverkill Covered Bridge. As Carl reports: “It was a fun project. There was a section, roughly 10 feet in length, which had been undercut so dramatically by erosion the ground dropped anywhere from 1 to 2 feet when I pounded on the ground with the bucket of the tractor.   A potentially dangerous situation now remedied.” Future projects include replacement of the industrial style gate (the one right by the Regan Road entry to the bridge), locating some stones to hide the new culvert pipe and additional tree plantings to further secure the river bank.