Sinterklaas Kingston Looking for Grumpuses, Wild Women, and Volunteers

October 19th, 2012

The famed Sinterklaas Celebration that has drawn thousands to Rhinebeck is going Bi-coastal for the second year and coming to Kingston to thrill and delight the children and the young at heart of Kingston. In the story, Kingston will play the role of Spain as a procession of giant puppets, stars, fish, flags, a boat that everyone can board, and the great Hudson River itself will travel down Broadway participating in the story of Sinterklaas’ arrival in the Hudson Valley.

Volunteers are needed to assist at the crowns and branches making workshops on Friday and Saturday from 12:00pm – 4:00pm.  You will be there to help set up, assist the children and put things away at the end of the day.  In addition, volunteers will be needed at the venues that will have entertainment.

Call for Grumpuses! And Wild Women! The Grumpuses are Sinterklaas’ wild sidekicks who carry out his judgment on the children—either switches for the bad or candies for the good. But, our Grumpuses are people you know in the community who are candy men, there for joyous revels and to delight the children. The Grumpus is also the Bel Snickle in German culture.  Wild Women — If you have Wild Men (The Grumpuses) you have to have Wild Women­ — a fantastic gaggle!

 The day culminates with a parade down Broadway where we will send Sinterklaas and his white horse off on a tugboat across the river to his destination in Rhinecliff.  The Parade need hundreds of volunteers to help carry puppets, “steer” the boat, “ride” the waves, as well as for traffic control during the Parade.

 As the event moves into the evening, activities will continue throughout the Rondout with special offers at restaurants and the lighting of the tree at dusk at the Downtown Visitors Center, where again volunteers will be needed.

Sign up early, become a part of the planning process, ask your friends, and like SinterklaasKingston on Facebook. For more information or to volunteer for the Sinterklaas events, call 845-339-4280 or visit www.sinterklaashudsonvalley.com.

What is Sinterklaas

We are honoring our Dutch heritage by recreating customs that the settlers from Holland brought to the Hudson Valley. The Dutch people who came to here over 300 years ago brought a celebration with them that was already a deeply rooted part of their traditions.

The ritual was simple enough. Each year on December 6 (that’s the Dutch tradition, ours begins the first Saturday after Thanksgiving as we bid farewell to Sinterklaas sailing off to the Netherlands from Spain), a town resident dressed up as Sinterklaas (that is, elegantly garbed in a bishop’s tall hat, red cape,  shiny ring, and jeweled staff). Mounted on a white steed, this Sinterklaas would ride through town knocking on doors late at night. He would be accompanied by his long-time sidekick, the Grumpus. Also known as Black Peter, the Grumpus — a wild looking half-man, half-beast character — rattled chains and threatened to steal away the naughtiest children in his big black bag. And for those “less bad” he had switches for exacting lesser punishments! And for the good children — Sinterklaas and the Grumpus would deliver a bag of goodies.

Over the years, as towns developed and houses grew closer together, Sinterklaas’ ride turned into a Parade that still happens in Holland to this day, and is the most popular of all Dutch holidays.

 

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Déjà-Vu Delis and Restaurants Now Serving

February 27th, 2012

From the Rondout to Uptown Kingston colorful new Delis and Restaurants recently opened, and are serving a hint of nostalgia with their diverse menus.

Along the Rondout Creek on Abeel Street, the P&T Deli had its soft opening a week ago, and is planning a major opening event in about two weeks.  The location is familiar to anyone who has shopped for computer parts, duct tape, hammers, or jack knives at the marvelously eclectic P&T Surplus store.  The P&T Deli is operated by Linda Smythe, the wife of the operator of P&T Surplus, Tim Smythe–aided and abetted by various family members–oh yes, and Igor the Robot.  Those who have attended the wine and cheese art openings at P&T’s annual “Nuts & Bolts” art exhibition are familiar with Igor, who will be pouring sodas for the grand opening of the deli.  At present the menu features  traditional deli fare with not-so-traditional fresh-baked bread.  There are breakfast sandwiches, hot soup, and, as soon as the weather warrants it, there will be a freezer case full of ice cream novelties.   The menu is perfect for a take-out early spring picnic in the nearby Block Park. This is not a new venture in the food business for Linda Smythe. For decades she owned and operated the legendary Lindy’s on Rt. 9-w in Port Ewen.  The  ghostlike structure is still standing, and is a landmark on the busy highway.  Linda is  planning that the P&T Deli is going to be a neighborhood center as Lindy’s was, with newspapers, groceries, and general store items.  Customers with mobility challenges are accommodated with curbside service.   P&T Deli will eventually be the only general store in the area with a robot serving the sodas!

Traveling up the Kingston Corridor at 342 Broadway, one will now find  the Taqueria, where Diego Rojos is doing a brisk business serving Huevos a la Mexicana, tacos, torta, burritos, enchiladas and many specialty dishes.  The traditional Mexican take-out is proving very popular with employees of the area health centers and with Kingston High School! Mr. Rojos reopened his restaurant last week after a year long hiatus and finds his new location to be much better suited for his clientele – it is larger with more seating.

Continuing up Broadway,  across the street from the Midtown Neighborhood Center and coincidently at the former location of the Taqueria at 456 Broadway is a new deli with a very familiar name, “Joe Beez.”  People who don’t mind going a block out of their way for really good delectable edibles have been  flocking to Joe Beez Kitchen and Catering at 40 South Manor Avenue for 11 years.  Joe Beganz noticed that the Broadway location was  vacant and felt it was “the right place at the right time” to open in a location more convenient for Kingston’s young people (and senior pedestrians as well.)  The Manor Avenue location will still be open as always, serving  delicious hot breakfast deli items, and the Broadway location will  be open for lunch and dinner.

Nearby is Tony’s Pizzeria located at 582 Broadway. Dylan and Neely Kennedy have reopened the famous Kingston Landmark which is the oldest pizza restaurant in Kingston. Serving hot slices and cold brew since 1937,  they kept the original name and neon sign on the outside and the iconic mural by Todd Samara is still the focal point of the interior, the hot, fragrant pizza is just as good as the old-timers remember!

Traveling to Fair Street in Uptown Kingston, a delicious fragrance  wafts in the unseasonable spring breezes, coming from the propped-open door of 275 Fair Street, where Yum-Yum’s Noodle Bar opened in mid-February.  The new Kingston Yum-Yums is owned by the same people who own the Yum-Yum’s Noodle Bar and Oriole9 in Woodstock.  Luc Moeys, Nina Paturel, and chef and owner Erica Mahlkuck felt that the time was right to expand their business to offer Kingston diners a new choice for lunch and dinner.  If that name “Paturel” seems very familiar, it is because Nina grew up in the now-legendary Cafe Espresso on Tinker Street in Woodstock, which was owned by her parents, Marylou and Bernard Paturel.  The cheerful  restaurant offers diners a variety of  ambiance, as well as a diverse selection of noodles.  One can chose either an intimate booth, a counter with a  panoramic vista of bustling Fair Street, or an old-fashioned lunch counter with those revolving stools that nostalgically remind most of us of our childhood.   The menu offers noodles, noodles and even more noodles, but in a dizzying variety.   There are four types of noodles (including gluten-free rice noodles),  five choices of sauce, and six choices of protein, including vegetarian tofu!

Joining our already long list of wonderful lunch and dinner spots along the Kingston Corridor we now have an expanded choice of menus offering something new with foundations deep in the area’s history for the past half century!

 

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Kiwanis Kingston Classic Celebrates 30 Years

February 14th, 2012

The Kiwanis Club of Kingston is proud to present the annual Kiwanis Kingston Classic. This marks the 30th anniversary of the run and special events are planned to celebrate this milestone. The race will be held Sunday, April 15th, at 1:00 p.m. at Dietz Stadium, Kingston, N.Y. The Classic includes a 10k course which is USATF certified and a 2.1 mile fun run/walk. A 10k team challenge category is also available for groups, schools and organizations to compete against each other to win the Mayor’s Cup trophy.

Early registration for the Kingston Classic is only $15 through February 15th, $20 through April 1st and $25 until the day of the event. Students with ID and early registration will cost $15. The 2.1 run/walk cost is $10 prior to race day and $15 on race day per person. Proceeds benefit local Kiwanis youth funds, such as Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts, Children’s Home, Brookside School, Key Club and many more. In 2011, approximately $15,000 was raised for these organizations in total.

Matt Zappen of Catskill, was thrilled with the overall Classic experience. “I’ve been doing races all my life, but never have I seen one like this,” said Zappen, 35. “I love the stadium and running through the historic uptown district. And, in terms of the fan support and the expo, it was just a great feeling. It was truly a great event. I do the Utica Boilermaker and, I think, this is right up there. It’s a truly hidden gem of the upstate racing circuit.”

If you don’t want to run or walk the Classic, join a Fan Zone or create your own. Fan Zones are set along the race course to encourage and motivate the runners as they pass by. Each Fan Zone will compete against each other for a chance to win cash rewards for a charity. In 2011, $500 went to the Kingston High School Band, $250 to the Kingston Fireman’s Museum and $150 to St. Joseph’s School.

“The Kiwanis does a tremendous job of putting this together,” said Lake Katrine resident Tim Quilty, a Classic veteran. “There is a real community feeling to this one, especially with the Fan Zone. Instead of just one or two groups cheering along the course, it was steady.”

New this year is a ‘Classic Training Camp’. All pre-registered runners signed up before February 15th will be eligible to sign up for an 8 week special training camp hosted by MAC Fitness. Sessions will be held at the 9W location in Kingston Sundays starting February 26th. These sessions will be focusing on stretching, strength programs, discussion of running form, hydration, nutrition and more.

Online registration is encouraged at www.kiwaniskingstonclassic.com. All pre-registered runners families and friends are invited to attend a pasta dinner the night before the big race on Saturday, April 14th from 5 – 7 p.m. The cost is $5.00 per person. Entertainment for the evening will be hosted by the Ponytails. Pre-race packets will be made available for pickup during the pasta dinner. 

“This is our second year hosting the Kingston Classic under the direction of the Kiwanis Club of Kingston. There is tremendous support from the community to make this event a success. And this year marks the 30th year of the Classic and many special events are planned to celebrate,” said Greg Riley, Race Director, Kiwanis Kingston Classic.

Run or walk through the streets of Kingston and support a great cause. For more information please visit us online at www.kiwaniskingstonclassic.com or call Greg Riley, Race Director at (845) 514-4654. You can also visit us on Facebook.

About Kiwanis

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. Our members develop youth as leaders, build playgrounds and raise funds for pediatric research. We help shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, mentor the disadvantaged and care for the sick. Working together, members achieve what one person cannot accomplish alone. And along the way, club members share friendship and laughter.

 

 

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High Spirited Investment on North Front Street

October 25th, 2011

The biggest reason why Carmelo DeCicco decided to reopen his family’s building  at 57 North Front Street as a wine and liquor store, was the spirit of investment that he sensed in the Stockade. The city was investing in renovation of the Pike Plan. New restaurants were repurposing historic old buildings and Back Stage Productions had returned their building to its historically theatrical roots, but with a cutting edge flavor.  After 5 hectic months of intensive renovation, what used to be a tailor shop reopened as a trending  potable emporium.

Long-time Kingston residents will remember DeCicco’s Taylor Shop, run by Carmine’s father, which kept Kingston looking sharp from 1968 to 1990.   The building stood empty for twenty years, before Carmelo DeCicco noticed the spirit of optimism and innovation in Uptown and decided to open Blue 57, an upscale wine and spirits store.

Getting the store ready would have been a daunting task, if Carmelo’s brother Sal had not been a master carpenter specializing in fine cabinetry.  Together the two brothers took their dream from the blueprint to the Blue 57, which had its soft opening the first week in October.  A grand opening celebration is scheduled for November 18 with the Chamber of Commerce cutting the ribbon.

One featured wine company will be Dreaming Tree Wines, by the Dave Matthews Band and made  by Steve Reeder.  Dreaming Tree offers wines from sustainably  farmed grapes, with the cheerful philosophy, “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with collecting wine, but wouldn’t you rather drink it instead.?”  Blue 57 will also be featuring 14 Hands Wines among their many selections of wines and spirits.

On October 27, shoppers will have an opportunity to sample the above as Blue57 hosts a wine tasting from 5 to 7 pm.   It may be rather unconventional.  Dave Matthews, discussing his first taste of Crush Red Wine said, “I swallowed it before I put the glass down.  There wasn’t any opportunity to spit.”  (At traditional wine tastings, the participants do not swallow the wine, but  merely experience its flavors and bouquet.)  Since Crush Red Wine is described as having “notes of smokey berry and a pop of raspberry jam”, tradition is probably not going to be followed.

Those who want to follow Carmelo DeCicco’s investment in Kingston’s retail future can do so on Facebook, and there is an intoxicating web page in development.   In the meantime, Carmine probably agrees with Dreaming Tree that “…the best vintage is pretty much right now.”  Wine also makes the perfect holiday gift, and if one over shops, one can always sip the extras!

 

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A SHINING EXAMPLE

September 12th, 2011

695 Broadway, 1954 and Now

Drivers traveling through midtown Kingston have been noticing a pleasant change to the building at 695 Broadway, at the corner of Broadway and Liberty Street.   Not since the 1950′s when it was an Atlantic gas station has the little cement block building looked so spiffy.  On August 6, with crisp new signage announcing its services, J’s Detailing and Car Wash, Inc. opened its two bays for business.

Jamar Ashe, the owner/operator has been in the detailing business in the Kingston area since 1990.  He  had been scouting for an ideal location, when he noticed that the former car repair shop on the corner had closed.  He bought the building from Honda of Kingston in June and spent two months retrofitting it for the requirements of a high-efficiency detailing business.

As his sign proclaims, J’s Detailing will give the showroom shine to “anything with a motor,” including boats, RV’s, busses, motorcycles, and jet skis.  The varied services offered range from $14.99 to  $159.99.   Express service is a specialty.   Perfectionists in a hurry can relax in the  tidy waiting room while their vehicle is returned to showroom condition.  Vehicle drop-off service is available 24/7.  In another option, Mr. Ashe can pick up the vehicle locally, detail it, and return it.

 This is far more than a “sweep and a shine” operation.  Got a vintage  vehicle that was stored for years in a leaky barn?   Mr. Ashe’s services include mold and mildew abatement, convertible window restoration, and leather and cloth seat restoration. 

Jamar Ashe

For vehicles with a few dings and dinks, Mr. Ashe can touch up damaged paint, restore tail lights and headlights, and restore chrome and alloy wheels.  He is quick to point out that these services are as important for the family SUV as they are for a performance car on its way to the car show.  Damage to the exterior of a car, even when minor, will get worse with time, and will negatively impact the value at trade-in time.

In addition to quick cleaning, Mr. Ashe has specialized for years in fleet cleaning, with special discounts for government and law enforcement vehicles.  He also offers discounts for car dealerships, senior citizens, and emergency vehicles.   He’s detailed everything from tour busses for rock groups through 3-wheel off-the-road vehicles.  When he says “No job too large or too small” he means it quite literally.

While Mr. Ashe is slowly building his clientele he is also looking to the future. He has applied for a used car dealer’s license, and he hopes to be able to offer a few select (and very clean!) used cars by next year.  Right now, the lot surrounding the store is cleaner and tidier than it has been in many decades.

Mr. Ashe feels that having one’s vehicle detailed is not a luxury, it is an investment in preserving one’s equipment.   His undercar cleaning removes the mud, road salt, and other substances that are responsible for irreparable rust damage of cars in the northern climes.  A clean car reflects pride in ownership and  self respect.   A car or RV that is spotless inside and out reflects (so as to speak) well on the owner and the neighborhood.

J’s Detailing and Car Wash Inc. is already a great reflection on the neighborhood–and a shining example of what a great neighborhood business can do for the neighborhood!

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It’s Fall, and Kingston Puts on Six Fantastic Festivals

August 23rd, 2011

Once upon a time, the City of Kingston was able to cover the extra costs of putting on festivals. Those days are gone, but fortunately, after a bit of a lull, volunteers, businesses and private donors have in many cases filled in the gap. “The organizers have really taken ownership of their own event,” noted Katie Cook, Kingston’s director of tourism. “They’ve managed to get more volunteers and raise the extra funds so that the event can happen.”  Here’s what’s on the festival schedule this fall:

The Wall Street Jazz Festival, scheduled September 2 and 3, is unique in that founders Peggy Stern and John Bilotti wanted to all the band leaders to be women, having noticed a dearth of female leaders at other jazz festivals. Friday evening’s concert, located at the BEAhive, starts at 8 pm and features a pair of duos, resulting in some very adventuresome improvisations. Vocalist Judi Silvano plays with pianist Marilyn Crispell, and vocalist Teri Roiger plays with bassist John Mengon. Admission is $12.

Saturday’s free concert, held on Wall Street from 6 to 10 pm, features Peggy Stern on piano and “Sweet” Sue Terry on saxophone; the Amy Shook Quartet (Amy Shook on acoustic bass, accompanied by Pat Shook on tenor saxophone, Frank Russo on drums and Tim Young on piano; and the Francesca Tanksley Trio (Tanksley on piano, Otto Gardner on bass, and Jeff Siegel on drums). At 9 pm dancing starts in the street when Estrella Salsam, featuring Sue Terry, Freddie Jacobs, Claire Daly, Amy Shook, Peggy Stern, Tomas Martin Lopez on timbales, and Renato on conga, take the stage. For more info visit www.wallstreetjazzfestival.com

The Hooley on the Hudson, Ulster County’s only Irish festival, is held at Gallo Park on the Kingston waterfront the next day, Sunday, September 4, from 11:30 am to 9 pm. Now in its ninth year, the festival is hosted by the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Three stages will be set up, two featuring music and the third dedicated to the spoken word. The line-up is too extensive to list in its entirety here, so here’s a brief sampling: the NY Showband with Tommy Flynn, the Ulster County AOH Division 1 Pipe, Drum and Honor Guard, the Andy Cooney Band, Vince Fisher and Tommy Kiernan, and spoken word artists Kate Dudding and Lorraine Hartin-Gelardi. Also taking the stage will be Irish dancers, from the Celtic Heels School of Irish Dance and the Michael Farrell School of Irish Dance. All concerts are free, and there will be food and craft vendors and children’s entertainment. For more info go to www.ulsteraoh.com

Two weekends later, on Saturday, September 17 (rain date September 18), the second Drum Boogie comes to Cornell Park, after a year’s hiatus. Executive producer Garry Kvistad, founder and owner of Woodstock Percussion, Inc., said the event is not  your usual rock drummers’ get-together. “It’s a very multicultural event, with men and woman of all cultures playing Caribbean, tap, ragtime, African, contemporary modern, and rock and roll,” he said. The headliners are Jerry Marrotta, whose group includes the lead guitar player from the David Letterman Show; Nexus, whose drummer played for Peter Gabriel and Orleans, among other top acts; Jack Dejohnette, “the biggest name in jazz”; Liam Teague, “arguably the best steel pan player in the world,” who will also perform with the NYU Steel Band; local percussionists extraordinaire POOK; and Native American Singers and Drummers.

Kvistad said the park, which is shaped like an amphitheater facing the Hudson River, has ideal natural acoustics. People should bring a blanket or chair; food vendors will be at the site. A portion of the proceeds raised from the numerous local businesses that support the event will be donated to Family of Woodstock’s cancer treatment program, in memory of the late Kathy Janeczek, Kingston’s beloved former town clerk. To make a donation, visit www.drumboogiefestival.com.

October kicks off with  a two month long Dream Festival.  The Dream Festival is an international celebration of dreams and dreamers curated by Kingston based author and dream facilitator Ione.  Going on its 16th year, this global community event includes artwork, performances and workshops by world-class artists, everyday dreamers and inspired beings.

Then the Italian Festival happens on Sunday, October 2.  Lower Broadway and the Strand will be festooned with colorful, light-strewn arches, in an echo of New York’s famous San Gennaro festival. Instead of the usual fried dough and cotton candy, however, the booths will be manned by staff from local restaurants, complementing the neighborhood eateries, offering a healthy and delicious “taste of the mid Hudson Valley,” according to Denis White, marketing director of the newly formed nonprofit organization, Kingston’s Waterfront Marketing Inc., which is hosting the event.

The musical performers include Bell’Accordio, a four-piece band playing traditional Italian music.  Local artists and craftspeople will display their work along the creekside walkway as well as submit a work of art inspired by Leonardo DaVinci’s Mona Lisa. A stage hosting a rally for the Queens Galley, broadcast on radio station WBPM, will be set up along Broadway. Activities for kids and adults include a pizza making lesson, spaghetti eating contest, and games of bocci. A Vespa scooter will be raffled off to a lucky winner.

On Columbus Day weekend, October 7,8 and 9, the second annual O+ Festival will transform Uptown Kingston into an arts extravaganza, with 30 bands, including Mike & Ruthy’s Folk City, Willy Mason, and TJ Kong & the Atomic Bomb, performing at various venues, a photographic exhibition, large-scale wheat pastes by various artists (it’ll be fun finding out exactly what those are), a seven-hour performance piece by Linda Montano, various installations (including historical plaques by Norm Magnusson, a 30-foot high interactive red jute wall by Lisa Lozano, and hand-knitted cigarettes by Melissa Halvorson), and a screening of Marwencol, a documentary about the amazing tiny World War II town and scenes created and photographed by an artist with disabilities on the grounds of his home in Eddyville. In exchange for their offering of art, the participating musicians and artists can use the services of a mobile clinic, where 40 doctors, dentists and other specialists will donate their services. Suggested price for a wristband providing access to all the events is $25.

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Complete Streets Would Mean a More Walkable, Vibrant Town

August 15th, 2011

In the past decade, there has been a movement afoot to transform America’s traffic-clogged streets into multi-use pathways that also accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians. While originally the movement, which resulted in the formation of the National Complete Streets Coalition in 2005, was closely tied to the notion of smart growth and more user-friendly downtowns, it has now expanded to embrace various other initiatives, such as preventative health, which has quickly become a national obsession.

Two hundred and forty-nine jurisdictions have adopted or plan to adopt a Complete Streets policy, and one of them is the City of Kingston (the jurisdictions include New York State). Last November the Common Council passed a Complete Streets resolution, which resulted in the formation of a Complete Streets Advisory Council. The council, whose 11 members include representatives of the city’s business community, non-profit organizations, and environmental groups, held a forum last June, designed to reach out to municipal officials involved in planning, engineering, and economic development as well as the public. A small portion of a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that’s funding the Healthy Kingston for Kids project was used to retain the services of certified planner David Gilmour, who owns a planning consultancy in New Paltz.

The concept of Complete Streets “means providing for all forms of transportation within the street network,” explained Gilmour. “In a city like Kingston, a lot of people walk, bike, and take public transit. If we’re not productively utilizing our streets, we’re not providing for the health and wellness of residents and workers, nor for the city’s full economic development, because a lot of business activity is associated with street activity,” he added.

In addition to hosting the forum to raise awareness about the value of Complete Streets, the council has conducted a codes audit and diagnosis, to see how the existing zoning law and other city policies, including subdivision regulation, could be improved. “We took at how the codes provide for walking and biking, through sidewalk maintenance, for example,” Gilmour said, noting that promoting safer streets is obvious key.

As it is, “Kingston doesn’t provide a lot of bike parking—not at the schools nor along Broadway or in the Rondout,” he said. The council plans to make recommendations that address this lack and others to the Common Council, which would hopefully then follow up by enacting policy changes. One Complete Streets advocate, Gerald Berke, has suggested low cost and easily deployable techniques to provide for pedestrians and bike safety, such as using paint to delineate crosswalks, Gilmour said.

Kristen Wilson, project director of Healthy Kingston for Kids at the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ulster County, who has been attending council meetings, noted that recently a crosswalks was painted near the entrance to Dietz Stadium on Washington Avenue, a sign of progress. She knows well the benefits and challenges for bicyclists, given that she commutes by bike from her home in the Rondout to her office on Westbrook Lane. The ride takes 15 minutes and is shorter than driving, considering all the traffic and lights.

“Kingston is only three miles at its widest point so it has the potential for wonderful bikability,” she said. As it is, Broadway definitely “needs some sort of bicycle infrastructure and traffic calming. People are going 40 and 50 miles per hour. One of the options of Complete Streets is to look at a ‘road diet,’ which for example might reduce the corridor to three lanes, with a turning lane in the middle. That would create lots of spaces for bicyclists.”

Wilson said making the corridor more friendly to non-motorists fits in with the Business Alliance of Kingston’s campaign to implement a Business Improvement District. “Walkability and bikability will bring more businesses, because a Complete Streets model for Broadway would bring more people out on the street. Last night”—a Sunday—“I was on New Paltz’s main drag and it was such a vibrant place. All the shops and cafes were open, and I didn’t have to worry about my safety. Broadway could be like that.”

Gilmour said the council is also seeking ways to work with agencies overseeing existing or planned capital projects to stretch public dollars. Specific areas that might get special attention, due to their location and heavy foot traffic, are Forsyth Nature Center and Dietz Stadium and the intersection of Route 32 and Washington Avenue. (In the latter case, Gilmour said there’s a plan to improve the shoulder, which possibly could implement a Complete Streets policy.)

“There’s a variety of projects at different scales and types that can be used to improve mobility and accessibility,” he concluded. “If the community provides for sidewalk, landscaping and lighting improvements on Broadway as well as improved sidewalks, that would not only increase safety and mobility but also civic vitality.”  –Lynn Woods

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Academy Green Gets a Trim

August 8th, 2011

Many of us take Academy Green for granted, buzzing daily by the long triangle (or is it a trapezoid) of greenery on our way to or from Uptown. Yet we shouldn’t: this lush oasis has been kept up and beautified thanks to the efforts of volunteers at the Ulster Garden Club. Back in the 1980s, late club member Herb Cutler moved the fountain from the former St. Ursula’s Academy (now the Children’s Home) to the pocket park and kept the place watered and pruned. Recently the garden club resumed its activities in the green after late member Elizabeth Gross left a behest that enabled the club to hire an arborist and get the trees trimmed and the beds mulched.

Janice Ambrose, chair of the club’s Academy Green Committee and a Kingston resident for 45 years, said keeping Kingston green isn’t just a matter of aesthetics, but also helps purify the air, an essential, healthful counterpoint to all that car and truck exhaust. Before moving to the city upon marrying her husband, a native Kingstonian, Ambrose, who was born and raised in Kansas, said she loved visiting because of the lushness of the tree-lined streets—a quality that’s been somewhat diminished in recent years, she noted. A model of what Kingston could be, in terms of aesthetics, is Cooperstown. “Everything’s maintained beautifully and you want to visit,” she said, noting that there’s no reason Kingston couldn’t have the same appeal, and more, considering its vastly more interesting history. “If it’s pretty, they’ll visit.”

Fortunately the city has a Tree Commission that has continued to remain active despite the cutting of its annual budget from $7,500 three years to $5,000. The Tree Commission and the Ulster Garden Club, through its Memorial Tree Fund, work together; for example, the garden club paid for the planting of the city’s annual Arbor Day tree planting (this year, on the Kingston High School lawn). Tree Commission member Mark DeDea, who is caretaker of the Forsyth Nature Center, said the commission plants about 10 trees a year. Recent plantings have included Liberty elms on the Broadway corridor and a mix of species on Gage Street.

Trees planted on Broadway in particular take a beating, due to pollution from traffic exhaust, runoff from rock salt during the winter, vandals, snowplows, and the occasional colliding car. DeDea said business owners would be doing the city a great service by maintaining the trees in front of their properties, including watering on dry days and notifying the city’s Department of Public Works if a branch is broken (the DPW does tree pruning and removal of dead trees). They can also help by planting a tree, and thanks to matching funds from the Memorial Tree Fund, they get a discount: the $350 cost of planting a tree approximately 10 feet high would be half that, thanks to the match. The fund will subsidize the planting of five trees a year in the city.

Meanwhile, the trees along Wall Street, part of the Canopy rebuilding, had to be removed. The trees had become a problem, their roots invading the underlying infrastructure. New trees are planned which will be smaller and planted in containers—expect plants like redbuds and crab apples. The return of some greenery will be much welcome.  —-Lynn Woods

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Rondout Music Lounge Makes Broadway Swing

July 11th, 2011

Kingston’s burgeoning music scene just got a boost with the opening of the Rondout Music Lounge. It’s open from 5 to midnight every day except Monday and features live music most nights (definitely over the weekend). Located in a handsome, vintage storefront with high tin ceilings and wood floors, the venue brings back a tradition of music that once happened here when it was the Sturgeon Bar. The lounge specializes primarily in jazz and blues, taking advantage of the numerous world-class musicians who happen to live in Ulster County, such as Joey Eppard, Harvey Sorgen, of Hot Tuna, and Michael Bernier, who has toured the world numerous times with Tony Levin. Right now, there is no cover, and a Budweiser is only $3 ($2 during a special happy hour some nights).

Owners Jared Zwiefel and Michael McGrath hail from Dutchess County—they were classmates at Arlington High School–and have migrated across the river partly because of the area’s cultural vibrancy. Zwiefel, who works at Hudson Valley Auto Interiors, located in Gardiner, during the day, bought a house in Uptown Kingston, while McGrath commutes from Millbrook. The two said their model was a club in Millbrook run by a friend called Millbrook R&B. “It books lots of bands and gave us the experience,” said Zwiefel. They landed in the Rondout partly because their landlord offered a very reasonable rent. Plus, he had restored the space beautifully, finishing of the wood floor and putting in new heating and AC and the vintage wooden bar.

Besides beer and wine—there are plans to serve hard liquor and soda soon–Rondout Music Lounge also serves burgers, quesadillas and other bar food, so one can have a meal prior or while listening to the music. Andy Parker, a musician and native Kingstonian, is booking the acts, and the work of two local artists hangs on the walls. (The large exposed side brick wall is bare, which Zweiefel hopes to cover with art; local artists, take note.)

The lounge has a Facebook page, and so far it is relying on word of mouth and the musicians’ substantial network to attract customers. Zwiefel said the central location was also a boon, with many walk-ins. In two short weeks, the place has already attracted many tourists, including a couple from Long Island visiting the area on their boat. “They were thrilled,” Zwiefel said. “They said there was nothing like this where they live.”

He and McGrath are considering opening the lounge in the afternoon, when they’ve noticed a bustle of activity before people disappear for dinner. There’s always something interesting playing on the sound system—even if it isn’t live; Parker promised to “play my harmonica while slinging drinks” as part of the entertainment. Joking aside, the venue is aimed at the 28-plus crowd—music lovers who are into jazz and blues.

Among the coming attractions are a performance by blues-guitar wunderkind Connor Kennedy, who is only 16 years old, and Roy Bookbinder, a folk blues guitarist with a direct link to the geniuses who defined the Delta Blues.

“I love the foot traffic,” said Zwiefel. “It’s a beautiful location. And we’re near the bridge, so we’re getting a lot of people from Rhinebeck.”

 

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Team Spirit on Fair Street

June 28th, 2011

Anthony Vazquez had a job working at Panera Bread, but he had always wanted to own his own business, so last April 1 he opened Vezzy’s Sportswear, at 279 Fair Street. Each day, after his Panera shift ends at 11 am, he rushes over to his new store, which is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11:30 to 6 pm. The busy schedule doesn’t leave him much free time, but he’s thrilled to be selling merchandise related to a subject he’s passionate about—professional sports teams, be it in the NBA, NFL, or major league baseball. The colorful jerseys, T-shirts, pants, caps and other clothing he sells represents every major team—some 30 to 40 of them, from the Mets and Yankees to the Boston Red Sox and LA Dodgers. “If I don’t have it, I’ll order it,” Vazquez said. “I try to get the All Stars—stuff they don’t sell at normal stores.”

He stocks adult and kid sizes, with a man’s jersey priced at $60, a T-shirt for $15, and fitted cap going for $25 (the kids’ sized items sell for slightly less). He also sells sports watches for $25 and a watch-and-wallet for $50. He said his prices are less than what you’d find on the Internet, since there aren’t any shipping and handling charges.

So far, Vazquez said business has been a bit slow, but he’s hopeful it’ll pick up. His best day so far was the Saturday on which the Kingston Farmers’ Market opened for the season (on Saturdays he erects a sign on Wall Street to direct shoppers at the market to his shop). His customers aren’t just local, but include people from Boston, Connecticut and Poughkeepsie. “They’ve probably got family here and come to visit,” he speculates.

Vazquez said reasonable rent from his landlord and tips on doing business in Uptown Kingston gleaned from his sister, Linda Fusaro, proprietor of Full Circle, a gift and clothing store located on North Front Street specializing in rain gear, helped make his venture possible. His mom also helps out on occasion. Vazquez painted the walls of the rented space light blue and also spruced up the façade; he put up spiffy waterfall racks along the side walls and installed lights around the storefront windows.

The toughest part of running the business is marketing, Vazquez said. He has distributed flyers at the MAC Fitness gym and has a page on Facebook; he plans to launch a website soon. M&T Bank offers space for a free ad on the printed promotional material for its credit card, which he plans to take advantage of; customers who pay for merchandize in the shop with a M&T credit card would get a 10 percent discount. He also plans to sign up for a free service offered by Discount Blabber, which would send e-mails to people about his business for free.

After selecting a T-shirt with the logo of your favorite team, head next door to Uptown Twist for one of the most delicious ices you’ll ever have; proprietors Sean and Julie Griffin use real fruit, which they pulp and mix with sugar. Uptown Twist also serves homemade ice cream and crepes. Its booth at the Farmers’ Market was one of the busiest on Wall Street.

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