Thursday, February 18, 2021
Exploring Woodstock History
February 18, 2021
Our favorite spot is till our kitchen, filled with sunlight, which fills us with hope. We are planning our one year pandemic anniversary for March 2021. Yes, we will gather with our loved ones- who are in our “ bubble”, to celebrate all things IRISH and to give thanks that we have been spared the pain of death caused by Covid 19 complications.
I did a 170 day tour of duty as an essential worker, RN case manager, and then decided to retire. The decision was made partially due to the working conditions during the pandemic. However there was also an underlying dissatisfaction about the role that I had in case management. It was time to jump off the tread mill and see what else floated to the surface.
Eventually, the grocery stores regained their abundance of choices. Now, there is more hand sanitizer available than we will ever use. We opened our flea market in July. Amazingly, Woodstock NY had suddenly become a safe haven for people fleeing the pandemic in the metro area. House prices have gone up; home sales in the region are fantastic- a true sellers market. The sidewalks of Woodstock are busier than ever. All we can hope is that store owners are making the sales that they need to in order to cover their rents and other expenses.
Our Mid-Hudson region remains in Phase 4 retail. It’s been hard on restaurants, who haven’t been allowed to open to full capacity. We shake our heads when we pass by a restaurant with outside seating- in 30 degree weather- people are out, bundled up, “ enjoying” a meal with friends.
I have started a new endeavor. Exploring Woodstock History with Janine Fallon Mower. I have uncovered so many notes and bits and pieces of information not used in all the local history books I have been involved in. Slowly, I am creating sort videos on specific local history topic. The videos can by found on our fleamarket youTube page. Mowers Saturday Sunday fleamarket. Subscribe to the channel and like the video. I will post on the flea blog- woodstockflea.blogspot.com- additional information and photos that pertain to the episode. I have local history books for sale. Contact me at woodstockfleamarket@hvc.rr.com to make a purchase.
Friday, April 24, 2020
Observations during the Covid 19 Pandemic of 2020
April 22, 2020
We had our pre St. Patrick’s Day meal together on Saturday March 14th, 2020. We weren’t sure, but we all had inkling that something dramatic was going to take place. Sure enough, Woodstock and NY State was put under lock down shortly thereafter. That’s the last time I hugged my daughter, son in law and my three grandchildren.
My husband and I are considered essential workers. I am an RN, case manager, working at Health Alliance/ Westchester Medical Center in Kingston. My husband works as an Enrolled Agent, preparing taxes. That first day, driving to work after the shelter in place order, reminded me of driving in to work after hurricane Irene blew through Ulster County, NY. No traffic. Eerily quiet.
My first trip into Hannaford in West Hurley was a shocker! I think I walked around and left without buying anything. The shelves were empty. When I ventured into Sunflower foods for some fresh veggies, everything was gone. Admittedly, it was a little disconcerting. However, knowing I was going to work in Kingston the next day I figured I would have more luck in ShopRite. Also, I realized that I had to put my prepper head back on and start stocking up on nonperishable items. Every store I went into, and I only went in two, there were shortages of everything. I just wandered around astounded at how grocery shelves could be cleared of all the essentials: like flour, yeast, cake mix and icing, canned vegetables, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, Clorox cleaning products, sanitizing wipes, hamburger, chicken and so much more so quickly. I can say for sure, that shoppers of Ulster County don’t like canned beets! When this is all over, I hope I will be able look back and laugh.
The sidewalks in Woodstock are mostly empty. There is the predictable line in front of Bread Alone in the morning when we go to work. However, now people are standing four or five feet apart and wearing masks. All of the parking lots are empty. Someone is still depositing household garbage in the dumpster on Deanies Alley in the Yoga studio parking lot. The animals are having a fun time rummaging thru the garbage. The deer are ravaging our day lilies at the flea market field. It’s quite odd to see the Library parking lot empty. It took me a little while to figure out that the Village Apothecary must be only letting a few people in the shop at a time, while others wait outside.
I can’t imagine how it must be to be a restaurant owner. To have lost two months of income is unimaginable.
Our favorite spot is in our kitchen. We can look out our windows and bask in the sunshine, what little there has been of it. I bring out the project of the day and spread it out by my kitchen sink, my spirits bolstered by the warmth of the sun. The dog park continues to be busy. I see people who walk their pets up and down the drive way, back and forth for exercise. Every now and then a family pulls up to the playground, and after wiping down the playground equipment, the kids play for a little while. I watched a neighbor high schooler stand and look at the broken basketball hoop. He was hoping to shoot some hoops, but kind of pointless without the hoop. Every now and then, two or three people will show up at Rick Volz Ball Park, throw a Frisbee or play some catch. One day, my heart broke. I could see a young child- maybe ten or so, dressed in their little league outfit, playing catch and hitting base balls with an adult.
The after effects of this shelter in place will be far and wide. I don’t even dare let myself think that this was caused by a foreign country’s lack of concern for other members of the human race.
What’s the point in thinking about what might have been? All I can do now is plan for how my family and I will successfully survive this shelter in place quarantine. And, plan how we are going to manage and prepare for the fall uptick in Covid 19 cases.
I can only hope that the government won’t be advised to require that we endure another complete shutdown of our communities. I don’t see how another shutdown is sustainable for our mental and economic health.
Janine Fallon Mower BSN CCM
We had our pre St. Patrick’s Day meal together on Saturday March 14th, 2020. We weren’t sure, but we all had inkling that something dramatic was going to take place. Sure enough, Woodstock and NY State was put under lock down shortly thereafter. That’s the last time I hugged my daughter, son in law and my three grandchildren.
My husband and I are considered essential workers. I am an RN, case manager, working at Health Alliance/ Westchester Medical Center in Kingston. My husband works as an Enrolled Agent, preparing taxes. That first day, driving to work after the shelter in place order, reminded me of driving in to work after hurricane Irene blew through Ulster County, NY. No traffic. Eerily quiet.
My first trip into Hannaford in West Hurley was a shocker! I think I walked around and left without buying anything. The shelves were empty. When I ventured into Sunflower foods for some fresh veggies, everything was gone. Admittedly, it was a little disconcerting. However, knowing I was going to work in Kingston the next day I figured I would have more luck in ShopRite. Also, I realized that I had to put my prepper head back on and start stocking up on nonperishable items. Every store I went into, and I only went in two, there were shortages of everything. I just wandered around astounded at how grocery shelves could be cleared of all the essentials: like flour, yeast, cake mix and icing, canned vegetables, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, Clorox cleaning products, sanitizing wipes, hamburger, chicken and so much more so quickly. I can say for sure, that shoppers of Ulster County don’t like canned beets! When this is all over, I hope I will be able look back and laugh.
The sidewalks in Woodstock are mostly empty. There is the predictable line in front of Bread Alone in the morning when we go to work. However, now people are standing four or five feet apart and wearing masks. All of the parking lots are empty. Someone is still depositing household garbage in the dumpster on Deanies Alley in the Yoga studio parking lot. The animals are having a fun time rummaging thru the garbage. The deer are ravaging our day lilies at the flea market field. It’s quite odd to see the Library parking lot empty. It took me a little while to figure out that the Village Apothecary must be only letting a few people in the shop at a time, while others wait outside.
I can’t imagine how it must be to be a restaurant owner. To have lost two months of income is unimaginable.
Our favorite spot is in our kitchen. We can look out our windows and bask in the sunshine, what little there has been of it. I bring out the project of the day and spread it out by my kitchen sink, my spirits bolstered by the warmth of the sun. The dog park continues to be busy. I see people who walk their pets up and down the drive way, back and forth for exercise. Every now and then a family pulls up to the playground, and after wiping down the playground equipment, the kids play for a little while. I watched a neighbor high schooler stand and look at the broken basketball hoop. He was hoping to shoot some hoops, but kind of pointless without the hoop. Every now and then, two or three people will show up at Rick Volz Ball Park, throw a Frisbee or play some catch. One day, my heart broke. I could see a young child- maybe ten or so, dressed in their little league outfit, playing catch and hitting base balls with an adult.
The after effects of this shelter in place will be far and wide. I don’t even dare let myself think that this was caused by a foreign country’s lack of concern for other members of the human race.
What’s the point in thinking about what might have been? All I can do now is plan for how my family and I will successfully survive this shelter in place quarantine. And, plan how we are going to manage and prepare for the fall uptick in Covid 19 cases.
I can only hope that the government won’t be advised to require that we endure another complete shutdown of our communities. I don’t see how another shutdown is sustainable for our mental and economic health.
Janine Fallon Mower BSN CCM
Sunday, March 29, 2020
The Importance of Genealogy to Local History Research
I decided that while I was under the pandemic of 2020 shelter in place, that I would put the time to good use. I've been going through my mountains of notes and photos with the goal to pare down and organize. I've started to utilize FB live to share my process with viewers. The photos in the previous post were examples of how family photos can be used to preserve local history documentation of changes in any size town or city.
Saturday, February 22, 2020
Off to a great start for 2020
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Happy Mothers Day 2019
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Congratulations or Condolences
On what was one of the chilliest mornings in recent history, I made my way down to the meeting at the Woodstock town hall, which was advertised in the Woodstock Times a few weeks ago. The way I read the ad, I thought I was going to a brain storming session regarding the Woodstock Cemetery. I thought the meeting would be led by a group of concerned Woodstockers who wanted to have input about forming a new board of trustees for the Woodstock Cemetery.
Of course, I’m used to “Woodstock Time” and arrived about ten minutes late. There were about three dozen interested people seated in the chairs provided, with Supervisor Bill McKenna hosting the meeting.
My friend, Terry Breitenstein, who has shepherded the care of the administrative part of the cemetery for almost two decades, was speaking about the dilemma the cemetery board of Trustees had faced when I arrived.
After about 45 minutes of questions and what seemed to me like confusion, Supervisor McKenna asked for a show of hands of who wanted to volunteer on the new cemetery board of trustees. I use the word confusion, because, as the multiple questions and comments were tossed about, there were times when the term “the board” was used, and if you weren’t really paying attention, a new comer would have trouble discerning between responsibilities of the cemetery board and the Woodstock town board.
Never the less, when the request for a show of hands was made, there were no volunteers for a new board of trustees. I think that everyone understood a comment by one attendee who said “it doesn’t really matter, old board of trustees or new board of trustees, there is still the problem of not having enough income to run the cemetery”. So, that’s really it in a nutshell. There hasn’t been, for a number of years, enough income from the sale of graves to support the maintenance and up keep of the Woodstock Cemetery. Now, the Woodstock Town board will administer the financial needs of the Woodstock Cemetery. If you want to know how this is going to take place, it sounds like supervisor McKenna is the point person at the moment. He will be consulting with the state association of cemeteries as to what to do next.
Truthfully, this is uncharted territory for a parties involved. Usually a town takes over a cemetery when there is no longer any land left for burials. Our cemetery is still an active cemetery, with plots available for sale. Also, along with the sites for burials, there is a house on the property that has been used for the past two decades as a home by Shay and his family. ( we are fond of the history of this little house, as it is reported to have been built by Walter Mower. Living on the property has been part of his compensation package. It remains undetermined what will come of this relationship, as Shay is no longer employed by the now defunct board of trustees. ( we are fond of the history of this little house, as it is reported to have been built by Walter Mower)
Lastly, there was a lot of enthusiasm from volunteers/ plot owners who wanted to help with whatever the cemetery property needs. (fundraising, historical, deeds, maps, clean-ups etc. If anyone interested, please contact the supervisor with your interest and in what manner. Bill McKenna - supervisor@woodstockny.org
At some point, I will try to put together volunteers who are interested in helping maintain some of the older graves in the old section of the cemetery. I will keep you posted.
My friend, Terry Breitenstein, who has shepherded the care of the administrative part of the cemetery for almost two decades, was speaking about the dilemma the cemetery board of Trustees had faced when I arrived.
After about 45 minutes of questions and what seemed to me like confusion, Supervisor McKenna asked for a show of hands of who wanted to volunteer on the new cemetery board of trustees. I use the word confusion, because, as the multiple questions and comments were tossed about, there were times when the term “the board” was used, and if you weren’t really paying attention, a new comer would have trouble discerning between responsibilities of the cemetery board and the Woodstock town board.
Never the less, when the request for a show of hands was made, there were no volunteers for a new board of trustees. I think that everyone understood a comment by one attendee who said “it doesn’t really matter, old board of trustees or new board of trustees, there is still the problem of not having enough income to run the cemetery”. So, that’s really it in a nutshell. There hasn’t been, for a number of years, enough income from the sale of graves to support the maintenance and up keep of the Woodstock Cemetery. Now, the Woodstock Town board will administer the financial needs of the Woodstock Cemetery. If you want to know how this is going to take place, it sounds like supervisor McKenna is the point person at the moment. He will be consulting with the state association of cemeteries as to what to do next.
Truthfully, this is uncharted territory for a parties involved. Usually a town takes over a cemetery when there is no longer any land left for burials. Our cemetery is still an active cemetery, with plots available for sale. Also, along with the sites for burials, there is a house on the property that has been used for the past two decades as a home by Shay and his family. ( we are fond of the history of this little house, as it is reported to have been built by Walter Mower. Living on the property has been part of his compensation package. It remains undetermined what will come of this relationship, as Shay is no longer employed by the now defunct board of trustees. ( we are fond of the history of this little house, as it is reported to have been built by Walter Mower)
Lastly, there was a lot of enthusiasm from volunteers/ plot owners who wanted to help with whatever the cemetery property needs. (fundraising, historical, deeds, maps, clean-ups etc. If anyone interested, please contact the supervisor with your interest and in what manner. Bill McKenna - supervisor@woodstockny.org
At some point, I will try to put together volunteers who are interested in helping maintain some of the older graves in the old section of the cemetery. I will keep you posted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)