Some of the FOBC Members who are staying safe in locations other than the Beaverkill Valley have asked about life up here, as we all accept the realities of the pandemic and the social distancing protocols our Governor has advised.
So a few notes …. being that its still not springtime yet, Roscoe, Livingston Manor and Lew Beach remain in their usual off-season melancholy. And it doesn’t feel like that is going to change anytime soon. Restaurants are closed to eat-in customers, with some of them staying open on shorter hours to offer “curbside” pick-ups. Northern Farmhouse, Raimondos, Brandenberg Bakery, Katskeller, Main Street Farm, the Cabin, the DeBruce and the Roscoe Diner, among them. Pecks and the Liberty Shop Rite have depleted shelves, but still enough inventory to provide home cooking supplies for everyone in the area. The Catskill Food Hub and Fare Haven are still providing local farm products to anyone who is willing to drive to the Manor for pick-up on their porch Essential services remain open, but quiet – the Post Offices, Manor Motors, and the highway exit service stations.
Some photos below, we’ll come back in a week with further updates. So til then – stay home and stay safe!
Same great food – just you don’t get to chat with Bob.Business as usual.You have to stay flexible at the local supermarkets.Some adjustments have been made.
DEC ACCEPTING PUBLIC COMMENT ON DRAFT BEAVERKILL CAMPGROUND MANAGEMENT PLAN UNTIL APRIL 15 Previously Scheduled Public Meeting on Draft Management Plan for Beaverkill Campground Canceled
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today encouraged the public to review and comment on a Draft Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Beaverkill Campground, Sullivan County. Out of an abundance of caution and to limit the community spread of COVID-19, DEC has canceled the previously scheduled public meeting about the draft plan. The public is encouraged to submit input on the draft plan, which will guide future management of the campground over the next 10 years, through April 15.
All comments on the Draft Beaverkill Campground UMP must be received by April 15, 2020. DEC will review these comments as it finalizes the UMP for the Beaverkill Campground. Comments can be submitted by mail or email to: NYS DEC Bureau of Recreation, 625 Broadway Albany NY 12233- 5253, or campinfo@dec.ny.gov.
Carl Obecny, wife Joan, and an assortment of valley residents and their dogs have been back up in the woods above the Beaverkill Covered Bridge again this winter – gathering sap and boiling it down into Carl’s much sought after local maple syrup.
For the uninitiated, the process starts with small metal spouts, sometimes called spiles, drilled into the trees. Late winter temperatures – below freezing at night, above freezing in the daytime – allow the raw sap to drain into collection bags and buckets hung on the spiles. Accumulated sap is collected daily for a couple of weeks, then put through a lengthy filtration and distillation process – reducing every hundred gallons of sap down to less than ten gallons of finished syrup. Carl’s custom built wood-fired evaporater works long into each evenings of the short gathering season. Result – pure Beaverkill maple syrup. No additives and of course 100% organic.
An early reminder to mark your calendars, the Beaverkill Community Church will once again be hosting its long-running Christmas Eve “Caroling by Candlelight” gathering. Singing begins at 8:00pm – afterwards all are invited to take the short walk up Craigie Clair Road to the Adams’ home, where festivities will continue. All are welcome, and its a great chance to bring visiting friends and family to meet the local residents.
For any additional details please email us at contact@beaverkillfriends.org.
Bill Rudge, Natural Resources Supervisor (Region 3) from the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, visited the Beaverkill Covered Bridge Campsite this past Friday – to meet with FOBC representatives and discuss the DEC’s forthcoming Unit Management Plan for the campsite area. FOBC members Eric Hamerstrom, John Adams, Ramsay Adams, Patricia Adams and Josh Grier met with Bill to review intended areas of improvement and maintenance of the campsite area, and to offer additional ideas for the Plan to address.
This initial meeting was to give the DEC an sense the current concern and interest that local residents have about the campsite and bridge recreation area, in advance of a formal proposal from the DEC being presented to the general public for review and comment.
Ideas presented to Bill included (a) relocating the shower house from the west side of the river (therefor more accessible to overnight campsite patrons), (b) renovating both comfort stations to include showers for both campsite and day use visitors, (c) burying all power and telephone cabling visible on the site, (d) building a “interpretative trail” starting at the base of the bridge and heading downstream on the west side of the river, complete with informational plaques highlighting the history of the Beaverkill River and its importance to both NY State recreation and commerce since the 1800s, (e) renovating the “Ranger House” at the foot of the bridge and possibly building a pavilion structure, and (f) establishing a more organized and reliable system for day users to park cars and gain access to the day use area – particularly on the weekends each summer when we have noticed a significant increase in day use traffic.
Mention was also made of accommodating the fly fishing community by clearing and improving the two miles of public fishing access that is appurtenant to the bridge and campsite locations – the only significant stretch of public fishing access on the Upper Beaverkill River.
When the DEC makes it formal Plan available for public access, review and comment we will email the FOBC membership to make sure everyone interested has a chance to get involved in the process. This is a great opportunity for the Valley to see a new round of improvements from the State conservation resources.
We all know that nature is not always cute and benign. While direct clashes are not that common in our parts they do happen. So it was earlier this week when I arrived at the house. Upon opening the door I encountered knocked-over lamps, torn clothes, even a chair on its back. All over the floor and furniture were whiteish spots and splashes — some small, some quite big — which were clearly bird poop. Then I saw the door to the fire place open: and since we always close it before leaving it didn’t take a genius to conclude that the avian intruder entered the house via the chimney.
The startling thing was that the carnage was literally in every room, on both floors. As I cleaned, stripped beds and generally started putting things back together I kept thinking: is the bird still somewhere here and alive? Or dead? Unlikely it found a way out via the chimney again … It all felt anxiously exciting and somewhat spooky. Fast forward a couple of hours, no bird found and the house more or less back to normal; and then it occurred to me to look into the basement, the only place I haven’t been yet. Sure enough, there it was: a beautiful, large hawk, lying next to the boiler, interestingly with no signs of any injury.
The coda is disappointing. I took it to the compost, planning to return a bit later to take a picture that I can send to someone better than me at birds. But when I came back I found not a trace. A coyote or some such chanced upon a meal and took it home (the chance the hawk woke up and flew away is remote I think). So I will never know who the visitor was … maybe it’s enough to know that it was one of the faces of nature.
Hello Friends, Please come enjoy the garden on our Open Day Saturday, July 20th from 10:00-4:00. We’ve been working hard to get the place ready for you!
Here is the link for information and directions. You can buy tickets online or just come and sign in here. (All proceeds go the Garden Conservancy.) You can go to any or all of the three gardens in Delaware County chosen by the Conservancy.
Supervisor Joe Boris for the Bridge Rehabilitation ProjectMaster Carpenter John Boris standing in front of the Acrow bridge
Yesterday I walked down to the Covered Bridge in the early morning where I spoke with the Supervisor, Joe Boris, who explained that in the next two or three days the construction team was going to remove some shims, and that something (?) would be lowered by about 3 inches.
When I got home, I realized I didn’t really understand what was going to happen, so I went back to find out more. During the course of three more trips to the covered bridge the Boris brothers, Supervisor Joe and Master Carpenter John, explained the bridge rehabilitation project in a very clear way.
Rehabilitation Project
John said that the bridge was constructed with a slight arch from end to end known as a camber. He illustrated this concept by lacing his fingers together palms down. When the bridge is resting on the two foundations at either end the weight of the bridge pushes down (he pushed his hands down), the trusses tighten, and the whole structure becomes rigid.
The diagonal lattice pieces were held together with wooden dowels, “trunnels” or “treenails.” In order to replace the damaged timbers it would be necessary to remove the trunnels. However, the camber of the wooden bridge would first need to be loosened by raising the wooden bridge off its foundations. Again, John illustrated with his hands.
The wooden trusses are pegged together with wooden dowels, known as either “trunnels” or “treenails.” Photo Virginia Lawrence
Here is where the Acrow bridge came in. An Acrow bridge, made of steel trusses, was assembled inside the wooden bridge. It rested on the new stone ramp at one end and on Ragin road at the other Once in place, it was raised with shims (small wedges) so that the wooden bridge was lifted off its foundations by about three inches. With the wooden bridge hanging in place, supported by the Acrow bridge, the structure was no longer rigid. The trunnels could be removed and the timbers replaced.
The gray steel structure behind the construction worker is an Acrow Bridge, a temporary extendible bridge. Photo Virginia Lawrence
Timeline
In the next few days (July 19-22) the shims under the Acrow bridge will be removed, the Acrow bridge will be lowered about 3 inches, the wooden bridge will settle back onto its foundations, and lattices and trunnels will be tight again. Joe told me the difference will not be visible.
The Acrow bridge is due to be removed sometime in August, and that will be easy to see.
Location
John Boris says that he’s worked all over the place in the State of New York, but that this specific location is his favorite. He has seen eagles flying over and trout jumping out of the river. He loves being here because of the site’s peacefulness and beauty.
