insights

A Baker Lives in Kingston

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Several months ago, I noticed something quite wonderful had changed inside of the baked goods case at the Mother Earth Storehouse Kingston location. I found myself beelining to the back each week where I’d find things like chocolate souffle cupcakes with white chocolate mint icing or vanilla malt cupcakes with pineapple cream cheese icing and pineapple flowers. Who in the world was responsible for these irresistible and creative desserts?

Now we know. KingstonCitizens.org took some time out to get the scoop on the talented local baker Terese Fantasia. Mother of two and wife of architect Scott Dutton, Terese and family reside in the city of Kingston.

Mother Earth's baked goods case made by Terese Fantasia

Rebecca Martin: How long have you lived in the city of Kingston?

Therese Fantasia: I have lived in Kingston for ten years. Before that I was living in Hoboken and working in Manhattan.

RM: What are your earliest memories of making meals, and when did you realize that you were a baker?

TF: I remember as a child, helping my dad make pancakes for the family, standing on a chair in front of the stove. I also remember helping him roll and hang up homemade pasta to dry all over our kitchen. We would drape the hand-cut spaghetti all over the backs of chairs, and over kitchen twine that was strung like a spider web all over the place! I also remember him teaching me to make his special meatball recipe, flecked with orange zest and hidden within each meatball would be one pine nut and one raisin. Of course when I was shaping the meatballs I would always sneak in more raisins! Also, my Mom is 2nd generation Hungarian and my Dad was 2nd generation French and Italian, so in our family we (there are five siblings) were exposed to a lot of eclectic and unconventional foods. I have always had a broad palate and a great interest in food. I guess the baking came into play later on. At work and family functions I was always the one making the desserts, and I developed a very strong passion for it. When I see a recipe I like, I won’t rest until I’ve tried it. Baking is more of a science and is less forgiving than cooking, and I’m very stubborn…when I see a challenge I won’t stop unless I’ve conquered it. I’m still working at it!


RM: How did the position at Mother Earth come about? Why was it a good fit for you?

TF: I guess I was in the right place at the right time to get this dream job at Mother Earth’s! They are so accommodating; they let me make my own schedule around caring for my two young daughters. I suppose they were looking for someone who had a passion for baking, and I definitely fit that bill! I love to be creative with my baking, and they have given me full reign over my little corner of their kitchen!

RM: What are your goals for their bakery?

TF: Well, obviously Mother Earth’s Storehouse is well-known for their quality and variety of natural packaged, prepared, and bulk food items. Ideally I would love for the store to become a destination for people who enjoy the baked goods that I provide. I try to come up with new ideas and flavor combinations that will raise eyebrows as well as pleasing taste buds. I guess I’d like the Mother Earth’s bakery to become a destination itself! I know that’s a tall order, but like I said, I’m stubborn!

RM:  I recently had one of your Green Tea cupcakes and have to tell you, that it was the most unique and delicious baked good I’ve ever had. What is your process in coming up with ideas like this and what other goodies do you have up your sleeve for the Spring?

TF: Thank you! I really like the flavor of green tea, and that COLOR!!! The wheat grass sprouting out of the top was an after-thought that I really liked once it was put together. I have so many places I go to for baking ideas, but most times I’ll see something in a cookbook or on the internet, and I’ll branch off and try to come up with something unique based on a simple recipe I’ve seen. Or, I’ll become obsessed with a particular ingredient and I’ll ruminate on it until I come up with a recipe to fit that ingredient. That’s what happened with the Green Tea idea. Also, it’s not hard coming up with ideas when you have the most wholesome, organic and beautiful ingredients at your fingertips!

RM: Do you offer private catering? If so, how can someone get in contact with you?

TF: Yes, I do baking for private events. My email address is tfantasia@polkadotcakebox.com

A Sinister Shortcut: Tea Party Madness

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(This post was inspired by the article “Tea Party Lights Fuse For Rebellion on Right” in the NY Times)

Through KingstonCitizens.org, a great deal of time and effort has been made to inspire the citizens of Kingston to work together and collectively take responsibility for the shape of their community and local government. Putting energy into local issues and “arming” oneself with the facts on any current topic is the most practical and effective way to change the world around us.

The creation of the recent Tea Party movement is not a big surprise to me – though I still find myself perplexed. Here, we live in a part of the world where it is possible to gather, discuss and propose new ideas. We have the freedom to insist that our government reflect our point of view and have the ability to change it if it does not in a non-violent manner.

But that can’t be done only during an election cycle. What relationship in your life works when you only check in with it once every 2-4 years or in crisis?  Being civically responsible is a pact that we each need to make in order to live together in a reasonable and humane fashion.

In the midst of deep financial insecurity, it is simple to see how some of the values of the Tea Party might be appealing to many. But packing pistols and threatening to revolt as a way to take back a government – in this day and age – is a primitive and sinister shortcut.    

In Kingston,  Alderman from Wards one and five  are actively reaching out and willing to meet monthly or as often as there is interest. I believe that all nine of our alderman would be willing to do the same if their constituents requested it. If you find that is not the case, then you can pull your neighbors together in the form of a community or neighborhood watch group.

Here’s another suggestion for the locals disheartened by their current local government administration. Insist on term limits and change the charter as it reads now. That’s a good initial step that would help to keep things moving along, and it’s entirely possible to accomplish.

Bring some new ideas to the table to help create a healthy community and strong local economy. Leave some here in the comment section if you’d like.

…and for those who choose to own a gun, put it back in the closet for crying out loud.

Part Two: Q & A with Ward 5’s Jennifer Fuentes

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As a new alderman to the Kingston Common Council, Ward 5’s Jennifer Fuentes agrees that Kingston faces many hurdles – especially in regard to the economy, but the city has many attractable assets that could work in Kingston’s favor.

The city’s proximity to New York City and Albany can be leveraged with these assets to market Kingston to the business community.

Fuentes took time with KingstonCitizens.org to discuss these issues. This is part two of a three-part series of interviews with freshman common council members.

-Arthur Zaczkiewicz

Ward 5 Alderman Jennifer Fuentes

AZ: What do you see as the top, long-term challenges facing the City of Kingston?

JF: As an upstate city in New York, Kingston leaders must rebuild our economy to create quality jobs that can sustain our middle class. Too many residents struggle to scrape together a living at wages that do not reflect the actual costs of living.  This problem of underemployment/unemployment, multiple jobs to make ends meet and contingent work drains the quality of family and neighborhood life. For the City of Kingston this means smaller tax revenues to provide the services our residents need and fewer businesses that can compete in this environment.

The top county employers are the public sector (Education, County, State, and City) and health care (heavily taxpayer subsidized), but with declining tax revenues we are likely to see future cuts to this workforce. This problem must be resolved thoughtfully because finding few opportunities, our young people are leaving the area, draining our talent pool.

AZ: Despite the challenges, Kingston is often described as a “vibrant city” that has much potential. Do you agree? What are some of the city’s most promising opportunities?

JF: Kingston is a unique community that has many great things to offer. There is something here for everyone from the arts and culture, history, waterfront access, and outstanding parks and recreation. Clearly, we must do a better job marketing our assets and promoting tourism as one component of a healthy economy. Hiring a Main Street Manager is a step in the right direction that should be supported and fully funded. Our proximity to Albany and NYC, access to the NYS Thruway, and Business Park are also an asset that can be marketed to attract jobs. The Solar Consortium offers exciting prospects in technology and manufacturing. However, both tourism and green technology will offer no panacea to the challenges we face unless we promote the creation of good jobs that provide benefits and sustainable wages.

What I love best about Kingston right now is the indoor winter toddler park at the Andy Murphy/Mid-town Neighborhood Center. Once the weather breaks, my son and I will be visiting the Forsyth Park almost daily. We have outstanding Parks and Recreation programs in the City of Kingston that I think too many of us take for granted. It serves many families and our seniors with day camps, drop in centers, organized trips, educational programs, etc. Even for a city our size to have a YMCA/YWCA is very fortunate – note that our neighbor, the City of Poughkeepsie, has lost theirs. These are all opportunities that are low cost to no cost that we should be proud of. Additionally, so much work is being done to improve our waterfront and increase pedestrian and boat traffic, that there will be even more promising opportunities on the horizon. The quality of life that is offered by our community is outstanding for a community our size.

We should embrace our location as a mid-point to Albany and NYC and better promote Kingston within the context of a regional Hudson Valley economy. That means coordinating marketing and economic development efforts between adjacent communities and counties. The reality of living in the Hudson Valley is that many workers must commute to find work and bedroom communities are scattered throughout. A recent study showed upwards of one-third of our workforce leaves Ulster County for employment. Kingston maintains small town charm in a city environment with access to comprehensive city services such as sanitation, professional police and fire services, two hospitals, and good schools.

AZ: Some residents have expressed a need for Kingston to file for bankruptcy as a way to get some fiscal breathing room and allow contracts to be renegotiated. Do you support such a move? Why or why not?

JF: With all due respect to the authors of the bankruptcy proposal, I disagree with the premise that bankruptcy is a viable option. The city is not near our borrowing capacity and maintains a relatively favorable credit rating; overall a sound financial position for a community of our size and upstate location. It is unlikely that the state would agree to assume our liabilities given our financial outlook. We also would be damaging our ability to plan for future needs, such as revitalizing the mid-town corridor and upgrading our aging infrastructure. A bankruptcy would mean our credit (and reputation) is destroyed.

While it is true that employee wages and benefits consumes three-fourths of our budget, this is the nature of government as a service providing institution. Most of what we do is perform services which are labor intensive. It is my opinion that sometimes our employment contracts are used as an excuse to avoid issues. A leaner government will mean creative problem solving for all of us and I don’t believe that approach has been fully capitalized on. Employee relations have become entirely too political and sensationalized in the media. Our workforce as a whole does an incredible job with fewer resources than ever and deserves our praise. Many of these employees live in the City of Kingston and contribute to our quality of life off the job as taxpayers, homeowners, coaches, volunteers, and good neighbors. Each contract should be renegotiated in the next few years with an eye towards fairness for the employees who are doing more with less and a recognition that our tax base is declining.

AZ: Residents have expressed publicly and privately that your election into office reflects a need for new thinking and new perspectives in city government. Do you agree with this? If yes, how do you implement some of that fresh perspective?

JF: It is always important to allow for new ideas and voices to enter our policymaking dialog. As a new councilmember I will always strive to bring transparency and openness to the process of the Common Council. I will begin holding monthly Ward meetings to better solicit input and ideas from the residents of the 5th Ward beginning in February.

AZ: Could you list three of the best reasons to live and work in Kingston?

JF: The eclectic mix of people that live here and charm of our historic neighborhoods.

It is also important for me to live somewhere where I can walk to the park, to the gym, to church, to the convenience store and my location offers many opportunities.

I appreciate the many great parks and recreation activities for my family and close proximity to natural areas.  This is a great community to raise a family.

Kingston Uptown Resident Alliance (KURA) Hosts “How To Appeal Your Property Assessment”

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Property Taxes

For some time, I have not only been impressed by KURA (Kingston Uptown Residents Association) but am ever so grateful to have smarts like that on the case of some very pressing issues here in the city of Kingston. They have successfully hosted meetings to expose residents to important information while tackling the complications of such topics as Kingston’s Nuisance Abatement law, the city’s budget and the confusion of our citywide reval and tax structure.

I had the great pleasure to meet and listen to Gerald and Victoria at Ward 1’s community meeting this past February (by the way, if you haven’t yet seen Ward 1 Alderman Andi Turco-Levin’s blog yet, you must.  She is doing an exceptional job at City Hall and in reaching out and listening to her constituents. I highly recommend you bookmark her BLOG ).

On Tuesday, April 20th KURA will host another public information meeting at the Old Dutch Church in Kingston (272 Wall Street) on “How To Appeal Your Property Assessment”. Guest speakers will be Ken Brett, member of the City of Kingston Board of Assessment Review and Mark Grunblatt, Real Estate Attorney in Kingston.

Of course, it must be noted that KingstonCitizens.org learned of  Karen Vetere during the now defunct homeowners tax relief group meeting back a year or more ago. Before and since then, Karen has been extremely helpful in working with residents through the maze of making sure their house values and tax increases were correct. There are many who experienced a doubling in their taxes over the course of a year, almost taxing them right out of their homes in one fell swoop.  In fact, it’s still a real possibility as things currently are.

Sometimes, the city of Kingston officials seem to work against its citizens with a lack of good planning. That’s not to say there aren’t good people working in city government. What I’m trying to get at here, is that in order for this all to work as it was intended, the citizens need to take an ongoing active role in it all. You mustn’t grumble over it either.  Part of the problem is due to a lack of involvement and oversight by the people.

We need to be paying close attention now and we need to stay the course on whatever issue calls us. Constructive changes don’t occur overnight.

Thanks to those mentioned in this post, and to all of the citizen groups new and old who are working to make the city a cool place to live while trying to incorporate every single one of it’s residents so to nurture it into the rich and diverse community that it is meant to be.

Part One: Q & A with Ward 1’s Andi Turco-Levin

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* Dear Readers – This is the first of a three part series written by Arthur Zaczkiewicz. Here, he will spotlight each of the three new Alderman candidates who took a seat on the council in January, 2010. Enjoy his insightful piece on Ward 1’s Alderman Andi Turco-Levin. Ward 9’s Hayes Clement and Ward 5’s Jennifer Fuentes will be posted shortly.

– RM

Ward 1 Alderwoman Andi Turco-Levin

Andi Turco-Levin, freshly in office as alderman for Ward 1, is no stranger to the challenges that face Kingston. As an associate broker at a local real estate office, Turco-Levin has first-hand knowledge of the local market and how macro-economic issues are impacting it.
Turco-Levin, who also serves as 2010 president of Ulster County Board of Realtors and authors a blog on local issues, took some time to share her vision of Kingston with KingstonCitizens.org.
-Arthur Zaczkiewicz

AZ: What do you see as the top, long-term challenges facing the City of Kingston?

AT-L: First of all we need to figure out how to overcome the financial hurdles that we face. It is a complex problem that has more than one answer. Most of all we need to build our tax base by creating a City that offers economic opportunity, a safe and clean environment for its citizens and a quality education for their children. The challenges we face are how to do it. I truly believe that part of the problem is that we have been reactive instead of being proactive in our long range plans for development. From contract bargaining with unions to designing a comprehensive plan to build both neighborhoods and business districts, without looking at the long range outcome we all suffer terribly.  With that said, the City of Kingston needs to overcome its reputation of being dirty, crime ridden and a city that ‘used to be beautiful’.

AZ: Despite the challenges, Kingston is often described as a “vibrant city” that has much potential. Do you agree? What are some of the city’s most promising opportunities?

AT-L: Absolutely! Kingston has so much to offer in many ways. Using Williamsburg, Va. as an example on how history can become an attraction and destination.  Another plus is the architecture here. With so many neighborhoods intact with rows of Victorian homes we can promote ourselves to historic home buffs if we can try to revamp some of these old neighborhoods again. Of course, our waterfront is the crown jewel of it all. The development of that area is also key to us becoming a tourist destination. One other asset we have is a growing group of residents who offer diversity from the arts to small business entrepreneurs who will help rebuild our economic engine. Again, we need to look into a long term plan for our future, without a road map we will be lost.

AZ: Some residents have expressed a need for Kingston to file for bankruptcy as a way to get some fiscal breathing room and allow contracts to be renegotiated. Do you support such a move? Why or why not?

AT-L: Most contracts will be up in 2012 and I have said it before and I will say it again…we need to start from scratch on the next round of contract discussions.  From what I can tell, in the past Common Council members were not able to participate or comment on the negotiation process and the contracts were given to them at the end of the process to approve. I have had discussions with Chairman Landi of the Finance Committee to be sure that some Council members will indeed be included in the process next time around when the contracts are negotiated. Filing for bankruptcy would have to be the last resort for the City as we would give up so much more control in the long run on how we regain our footing…quite frankly the State is not in the best financial shape either so I’m not certain turning things over to them would be the end of our problems!

AZ: Residents have expressed publicly and privately that your election into office reflects a need for new thinking and new perspectives in city government. Do you agree with this? If yes, how do you implement some of that fresh perspective?

AT-L: I do agree that many Kingston residents are unhappy with the direction that we are going. Rising taxes are a burden to many who live here, especially for seniors who are on a fixed income and for our commercial property owners so we need to all work together to find solutions.

There are two things I wish to focus on while serving on the Common Council. The first one is to encourage residents in the community to get involved.  I have already scheduled our first Ward 1 Citizens meeting to take place on February 27th and hope to have them on a regular basis every 2 to 3 months. I also hope that my fellow Aldermen will become more active in keeping their community up to date with information on things including educating their constituents to the changes that are being discussed such as garbage collection, recycling, leaf bagging and other issues.
The other thing I want to be sure to have is open lines of communication, be it between other Council Members, the Mayor’s office, and the supporting offices that make up our government. I want to be sure that our City residents know we are there working hard and watching out for them.

AZ:  Could you list three of the best reasons to live and work in Kingston?

AT-L:
1.  The natural beauty of our environment along with the proximity to New York City
2.  The charm and convenience of living in a small city
3.  The interesting people who choose to call this City home.

Top 10 Things Kingston Can Do to Be a Better Place

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As the City of Kingston struggles under the yoke of a fiscal crisis spurred on by The Recession That Wouldn’t Leave, it seems like a good time to suggest some ways to make this a better place to live, work and do business. Some of these suggestions include some hard medicine to swallow, but in my humble opinion it is needed. So, in no particular order:

1.       Greater Unification. From the socio-economic to business to the political, Kingston – to thrive – needs to be unified. City leaders (business, civic, elected and appointed) need to set aside egos, agendas and self interests and place the greater good ahead of all. A recent example would be how Alderman Ron Polacco says people should come before politics. Brilliant. Of course there will be conflicts, but having a facilitator in a consensus-building session would help iron things out. It’s a process.

2.       One City. Kingston also needs to abandon its three sections (uptown, downtown and midtown), which is simply outdated and non-inclusive. What should be embraced is the idea that this city is composed of dozens of unique neighborhoods that as a whole make one great place to live, work and do business.

3.       Avoid Duplication. Along the same lines of unification is the idea that less is more when it comes to the operation of city governmen to initiatives in the private and nonprofit sectors. Simply put, duplication wastes money, time and people power. For example, having a single business association is better than having three – or four, if you count the Kingston Business Alliance. A single business association instead of three or four has greater clout and focus when it comes to protecting the interests of Kingston businesses.

4.       Improved Marketing. Having a Main Street Manager is a great first step in helping to market Kingston, but the effort should be well funded and positioned for the long term with specific marketing campaigns in place to promote Kingston tourism, business and real estate. The marketing also needs to be nimble. Take the recent Today Show spot that named Kingston as one of the country’s top 10 places to buy a home. Placing advertisements in the real estate sections of New York City, New Jersey and Long Island newspapers along with banner ads on websites touting this recognition would turn a spotlight on Kingston and garner greater attention.

5.       Hire a Spokesperson. The City of Kingston needs a human face. Someone to be a level-headed, thoughtful, apolitical spokesperson who can attend trade, real estate and green building shows to promote Kingston. This person would leverage social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Wikipedia to create and sustain an online buzz about Kingston. This person would direct inbound inquiries to the right office, and facilitate meetings between businesses and officials. Of course, this person would also be well versed in the positive attributes – from a lifestyle angle – of Kingston as a great place to live. After all, no one relocates their business to places they wouldn’t want to live in.

6.       Redefine Economic Development. Instead of reapplying to the same dwindling pool of grants – mostly federal tax dollars, which is our money – the city should partner with existing businesses to “sharp shoot” economic development opportunities with contract-based businesses involving technopreneurs and solopreneurs as well as in the green building and green technology sectors. Last year’s Kingston Digital Corridor effort was an amazing first step in this direction, resulting in media coverage in national magazines that included BusinessWeek Small Business as well as website visits to KingstonDigitalCorridor.org that were global. Other recent initiatives included the opening of a co-working space – The Beahive – on Wall Street. The city needs to support more projects like these, especially since IBM is not coming back anytime soon.

7.       Celebrate History. From gorgeous Victorians to its rare bluestone sidewalks, Kingston has historical assets that touch people daily. Celebrate this. Inventory other historical assets such as the city’s stone houses, its museums, churches and municipal buildings and create promotional material such a photos and YouTube videos that position Kingston as a gem.

8.       Celebrate Cultural Assets. The same can be done with Kingston’s rich inventory of cultural assets such as its theaters, galleries and art studios. Get Kingston High School kids to shoot video profiles of these assets for YouTube. Have the kids create Facebook pages touting Kingston’s cultural assets. All of this can be connected and intermixed with existing work such as KingstonCitizens.org and Kingston Happenings.

9.       Create a Vacancy Tax. Kingston is full of empty storefronts and lots because there is no incentive for landlords and property owners to fill them. For empty storefronts, a vacancy tax forces them to lower their rents. Perhaps SCORE or other business development organizations could work with landlords to fill those storefronts with small business entrepreneurs. Give them six months free rent. Let their dreams become real, and the city can be transformed. With vacant lots, owners can avoid the vacancy tax by installing community gardens or small, “micro parks.”

10.   Innovate City Government. Create a paperless, green City Hall where residents print forms and documents on demand. Offer incentives such as time off to city employees who walk, bike or take public transportation to work. Create an advisory board for the common council and the mayor’s office. This board would be the conduit between those offices as well as with the public. Leverage existing public platforms such as KingstonCitizens.org to generate discussions and build consensus. Update the city’s master plan, and have visioning sessions with stakeholders every two years to make sure we’re on track.

– Arthur Zaczkiewicz

Kingston Named One Of The Top 10 Places To Buy A Home In America

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According to Barbara Corcoran on the Today show, the City of Kingston rated #9 as one of the 10 top places to buy a home….in America!

Along with Portland, Maine and even Miami, Florida, the beauty and potential of this historic city is no longer a secret.

We look forward to meeting you, future Kingstonians! Stop by Monkey Joe’s, Hudson Valley Traders or Dolce for a cup of coffee and say hello after you close on your new home.

Watch the VIDEO

– Rebecca Martin

Environmental Focus on Kingston: Thor’s Hammer

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I know what Thor got for Christmas.

On December 26th at 10:05 P.M. there was a flashing burst of white atomic lightning.  Nearly 20 seconds later it was followed by a deafening clap of nuclear holocaust, world ending thunder.  And that’s exactly what I thought had happened.

After I dislodged the pieces of my heart from my throat and stomach, I looked outside expecting to see the world had been obliterated, my home the only survivor.  When I saw the planet was still spinning gently on its axis, I imagined my beloved, primordial maple tree had grown legs and ripped itself from the earth rather like one of Tolkien’s Ents.  However, it was still intact.  Perhaps the train trestle had collapsed?  But that too was still standing.

Winter lightning and thunder is said to be a rare event.  Lightning is born of out intensive atmospheric energy.  Cold air is less energetic and holds less moisture, making winter thunder unusual.  But it seems to me that I can recall several instances of it over the past decade or so and it seems to be increasing with frequency.  I wonder if it’s related to an el Nino weather event or the much debated global warming?

I paid enough attention in school to know that a thunderstorm occurs on the leading edge of either a cold or warm front as the two air masses collide.  Thunder is the manifestation of the super heated air (15,000-60,000 degrees Fahrenheit) created by lightning.  It causes the air around the lightning to rapidly expand and creates shock waves that rumble through the atmosphere.

I couldn’t even tell you what the weather was like that day or night.  The boisterous clap seems to have erased all memory of it away.  My research didn’t turn up any super cool nuggets of information on the subject either.  Perhaps someone out there has an interpretation of the cause of that pulverizing blow from Thor’s Hammer that they can share with us.

I did come across these brief interesting tidbits which I’ll share with you on the way out of this post.

Old Wives Tales:

  • If during the winter you have a thunderstorm, within 10 days you’ll have snow.
  • If there’s thunder during Christmas week, the winter will be anything but meek.

Cool New Word:

  • Astraphobia: The irrational fear of thunder and lightning.  (As in, Wilbur Girl’s cats suffer from extreme astraphobia.)

– Wilbur Girl

Looking Back On Kingston In 2009

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Shortly, we will have traveled through the first decade of the 21st century. Huh? How’d that happen? If you are like me, then you are a bit bewildered that the year 2000 is now ten years ago. Granted, it’s been a jammed packed decade. But still, time flies as they say. Does it ever.

Looking back on Kingston in 2009, I’d like to mark the top 10 memorable land marks from all of us here at the KingstonCitizens.org’s blog.

1. The Kingston Digital Corridor – Here’s a concept that is as timely as it is brilliant. Local resident and tech geek #1 Mark Green created a way for Kingston to capitalize on it’s digital community and it’s proximity to New York City. Working with KJ McIntyre of Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty, they communicated to our local real estate community, banks and government how an independent contractor ticks, making it easier and attractive to those who work in the ‘tech’ world inside and out of the local area.  Mark’s solid team included Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Paul Rakov, Sharron Bower, Mark Marshall and Nancy Tierney who helped to bring it. Kudos. Perhaps one of the biggest advancements to Kingston this year.

2. The Main Street Manager Program It was with great pleasure (and to some degree of surprise) that the city of Kingston hired local artist Nancy Donskoy as Main Street Manager in Kingston this year. Her part time position is helping to bring together all three business districts and to create a BID which is so badly needed. I know first hand that Nancy works 60+ hours per week in helping to keep our small business community together while marketing the city of Kingston to the outside world.  There are many people who were involved in making this position so. Patrice Courtney Strong, Larry Zalinsky and Alderman Tom Hoffay to only name a few. I hope that 2010 brings more citizen support for this important role. I’m equally hopeful that perhaps some uniform signage in all the right spots will finally be put in place. Boy, do we need it.

3. Community Gardens Let’s face it. It’s been the year of gardens in the city of Kingston. In a years time now almost all of our schools have one. So does Kingston’s City Hall, who showcased a small ‘victory garden’ in their side yard for all to see.

4.  Julie and Steve Noble I don’t mean to harp on the subject as I have many times before, but I’ve got to publicly hand it to these two. Our Kingston raised environmental eductators could have settled down anywhere in the US with their expertise. But they came back home here to make the community a more forward and healthy one.  This dynamic duo continue to provide outdoor programs for Kingston’s elderly and our youth population and are experts on many subjects ranging from garbage to our sewer system to storm clouds. They are making a tremendous contribution to our community in more ways than I think most even realize. This year, they introduced the sadly misunderstood ‘Pay As You Throw‘ program. It’s a proven concept that could save the city residents a bundle in tax dollars over time while making our waste stream better managed. I’m certain it will come up again in the next few months which is a good thing. Do a little homework on the topic before pouncing on negative sound bites so to come to a reasonable conclusion.

5. The Kingston Land Trust Finally!  A trust for properties in the city of Kingston. You’d think that being an official ‘tree city’ Kingston would have had a trust a long time ago. The brainchild of Arthur Zaczkiewicz, this is an organization ready to collaborate with future developers and residents who wish to ‘trust’ their open space to their home town of Kingston (a tip of the hat must be given to Kevin McEvoy and Barbara Epstein. The two are behind the scenes in every good way imaginable, and The Land Trust probably wouldn’t have continued to exist as it does without their expertise and support).

6. The Queens Galley Hooray for Diane Reeder! In the worst economic downturn since the great depression, she continues to provide three meals a day to our families in need – no questions asked. But that’s only the beginning of what Diane does. This year, she started the ‘Operation Frontline‘ program in Kingston and acquired land on South Pine Street with Farmer Frank Navarro to start a one acre community garden that will provide local fresh produce to her kitchen. One acre makes a whole lot of food. To me, Diane is the Queen of Kingston.

7.  New Blood on Kingston’s Common Council I’m particularly pleased to have some new people to politics elected to the common council in 2010. I think it’s safe to say, it’s a little unprecedented. For our slow changing City of Kingston, that’s a good thing. Ward 1 Alderman Andi Turco-Levin, Ward 5 Alderman Jen Fuentes and Ward 9 Hayes Clement will no doubt be a breath of fresh air in helping our alumni work through all that ails us at this time in the city of Kingston. I think we quickly forget how much effort goes into running for office – and that our council members are ‘common’ men and women wishing to serve their community. Let’s complain less and help them out this season by taking part in more of their monthly meetings at City Hall. It’s the people’s city afterall – but not so much if you don’t come forward.

8. KPATV Back On Air It’s grand to have our programs up and running again on Kingston’s Public Access TV. Whether you are a fan or not of PA, I think we can all agree that it’s important that it exists. Many citizens worked tirelessly to make it so in the last 12 monhts. A big thanks to them and to 721 Media who has provided a new space to broadcast. 721 is most certainly one of our city’s gems.

9. Kingston Natural Foods What once was a simple and small effort to help provide locals with affordable organic foods has now turned into a tsunami. Local resident Jennifer McKinley-Rakov started an organic buying club that is now one of the top ten buyers in the nation and landed her a storefront in the rondout section of Kingston (33 Broadway). 2010 looks bright for us all in finally having an organic foods market in the city of Kingston thanks to her. Look for her winter Wednesday ‘Farmer’s Market’ where she has organized local farms who are still growing or making their hearty, healthy local foods for our citizens here and in the Hudson Valley. Bravo!

10. Kingston Local Business Fleisher’s Grass Fed and Organic Meats In The National Press Have you all been following Fleisher’s Grass Fed Meat’s recent press? Joshua and Jessica Applestone have given Kingston an enormous amount of national attention and stature as our local butcher in the Hudson Valley. The New York Times, Saveur and, GQ Magazine just to name a few. Josh was recently a guest on the hit Food Network series ‘IRON CHEF’. Thank you for landing – and staying in the city of Kingston you two! Mucho Brava.

…and there is more. Way more. With all the unruly and sometimes downright negative news here and beyond, take a moment to change your perspective and love the city you live in. There are so many people working hard to make Kingston great. It’s all perspective – and I hope that this post has softened yours.

We want to learn of your favorite city achievement this year. What have we missed? Please, do tell.

Happy Holidays to all of our readers.

– Rebecca Martin

Environmental Focus on Kingston: O’ Christmas Tree

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It’s here, again.  Looking at the calendar I can’t deny it anymore.  The holidays are coming even if I’m not ready.

Once this indulgent time of year has passed, what’s left behind will be evident in what’s put out curbside.  Plaintiffs’ exhibit one being the Christmas tree.

I suppose there’s an ongoing debate over artificial versus real trees.  I fall on the side of bah-humbug with regard to all things Christmas.  But if it became compulsory to display a Christmas tree and I had to make a choice between a real tree or its artificial counterpart, I would choose real any year.

Last year 28 million real Christmas trees were sold in the US.  They are grown in each of the fifty states and Canada.  With nearly 21,000 tree growing farms, the industry employs more than 100,000 full or part time annually.

Trees are a renewable, recyclable resource.  For every tree harvested, up to 3 seedlings are planted.  An acre of tree farm can provide enough oxygen for 18 people, while also providing a natural habitat to a variety of animals.

Once the glamour, glitz and glory of the holiday fade, all those trees begin their journey to their final resting place.  In Kingston we have two organized options available to local residents.

Bring your family and your tree to the annual Winterfest event held at Hasbrouck Park on January 16th between 10:00 – 2:00.  Your tree will be mulched for free!  You can take your mulch home with you or leave it to be distributed and used in Kingston’s extensive park system.

This growing and popular event is sponsored by the Kingston Parks and Recreation Department and the Friends of Forsyth Nature Center.  Other planned activities include snowshoeing lessons, snow animal building contest and children’s crafts.  The latter will be held inside of the heated and historic Hasbrouck Park Stone Building.  For directions to the event, click here.

If you are unable to make it to Winterfest, you may place your defrocked tree curbside for pickup through Jan 31st according to the city code.  Please note that if you get your tree out before January 16th the DPW will transport them to event site for chipping.  Any trees hauled away after that date will go to our local brush dump.

Still want more green tips for Christmas?  Check out these ideas.

Did You Know: 85% of artificial Christmas trees are manufactured in China and are made with non bio-degradable plastics?

–          Wilbur Girl

Help To Secure The Future Of The Rosendale Theatre

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After 60 years, the family owned and operated “The Rosendale Theatre” is looking to sell the space. Last night, I received this information from the remarkable Amy Poux who is working with her collective to help raise the necessary funds to secure the space and keep it in operation as we all know and love it. An informative meeting will take place on Thursday, December 10th at 7:00pm at the Rosendale Recreation Center. The Rosendale Theatre Collective will explain what they are doing and talk about their plans for the future. All questions, ideas and expertise welcome.

She writes:

“The Rosendale Theatre is one of the few family-owned, single screen movie theatres still operating in the United States. In Particular, this theatre has a rich history of supporting independent filmmakers, artists and civil and human rights organizations worldwide. In addition to providing high quality art films, the theatre has been a community space used by organizations to fundraise, meet, inform, inspire and educate.

The sole responsibility for this gift to the community has rested on the Cacchio family for 60 years. They have now decided to sell the theatre.

A recently formed community group, currently called the Rosendale Theatre Collective, is negotiating with the Cacchio family to purchase the theatre. The Cacchio’s asked to receive a binder in the amount of $20,000 by December 1st. They have now generously extended us another two weeks. So far, we’ve raised $10,000. Please consider making a donation and help us reach this goal! No amount is too small – or too large. Currently, the Rosendale Theatre Collective is fundraising under the fiscal umbrella of The Children’s Media Project and donate through their site, indicating Rosendale Theatre Collective in your donation instructions. Or, make out a check to Children’s Media Project. Please be sure to write “Rosendale Theatre Collective” in the memo space on your check.

Checks to:   Rosendale Theatre Collective    PO Box 250   Rosendale, NY.  12472

Thank you for joining us in this exciting and important project!  Please share this with anyone who loves the Rosendale Theatre!”

Current Board Members of the Rosendale Theatre Collective: F-Stop Fitzgerald, Ron Parenti, Nicole Quinn, Gale McGovern, Betty Greenwald, Fre Atlast, Ellen Sribnick, Beverly Keith, Amy Trompetter, Jan Melchior, Yuvai Scorer, Lisa Sterer, Abba Johnes, Dan Guenther, Dana Rudkoff, Livia Vanaver, Linda Park, Jane Hollinger, Marty Moltoris, Anissa Kapsales, Bill Brooks, Sophia Raab Downs, Laura Shaine, Bob Godwin, Nicole Fenichel-Hewitt, Ali Gruber, Louis Torchio, Annette and Max Finestone, Carol Garfunkel, Jane Hollinger, Eve Waltermaurer, Jennifer Metzger, Ann Citron.

In the City of Kingston, More Pharmacies Than Food

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Driving around Kingston this morning I was struck by the number of chain pharmacies there were to grocery stores within a 1/2 mile radius. 50 years ago, could one imagine it would be easier to get a prescription of some sort over a bag of fresh produce?

There isn’t any doubt that having meds when we need (or can afford) them is a great advancement to modern medicine. But what ever happened to healthy eating first? It’s kind of poetic that a new Walgreens is opening next to a Burger King – across from a gas station that sells all the beer and cigarettes one could want.

Luckily for the people living in that part of town, there is also a small locally owned market hidden away (the locals know where it is). Although it might be more accurate to call it a ‘deli’ rather than ‘market’, it is one of the very few in the city that at least carry some fruits and vegetables (even if the distance their produce has traveled to get to Kingston is anyone’s guess).

Food for thought at least.

Here is a little reading on this very thing:  MORE PHARMACIES THAN FOOD

– Rebecca Martin

My Heart Lives In Wilbur. Where Does Yours?

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Let me tell you what, I’ve got some mad crazy love for Wilbur.

(What follows is an essay in which a totally selfish and self-serving way,  I attempt to explain and quantify my love affair with the hamlet of Wilbur.)

Wilbur is not just a street, it’s the name given to one of Kingston’s older industrial neighborhoods in the southwest corner of Kingston.  Historically speaking, it’s one third of the reason we have city hall.  Local history attributes the 1875 completion of city hall as a symbol of the joining together and incorporation of the villages of Wilbur, Rondout and Kingston into the City of Kingston.

Unofficially, I consider the boundaries of Wilbur to encompass the area along Abeel St., starting at the base of Hudson St. and traveling south along the Rondout Creek to Hamilton St.  The “Heart of Wilbur” lies in the triangle bound by Davis & Dunn.  It then extends from Wilbur Ave, which runs up the middle of the “heart,” to its imaginary end at the corner of South Wall and Brook St.  It includes a handful of other streets along the way; Dewitt, Purvis, Rodney, Chapel, Burnett, Fitch and DuFlon.

To be sure Wilbur is in my heart, my soul, the very core of who I am.  I can’t think of another place on this earth that I feel so deeply connected to.  And I never saw it coming.  It’s easy to assume that the love affair begins and ends with my family.  But that’s not entirely true.  I think that’s because living in Wilbur changes the way you consider things.

My grandmother lived her entire life in Wilbur.  Her brother Charley did as well, living less than a mile down the road in the home they grew up in.  I think that’s because when you live in Wilbur, you tend to grow deep roots.

I never met my grandfather, but have heard he was one hell of a guy.  One of the family jokes often told is that he married a younger woman because he needed someone to keep up with him.  And Gram sure knew how to do just that.  I think that’s because if you live in Wilbur, you know the value of a hard day’s work and the reward that comes from it.

Having love for Wilbur is a tricky thing – the result of an imprint perhaps.  Some have it, others only witness it.  While my aunts and uncles have an appreciation for where they came from, only my Uncle Bruce shares my affinity for Wilbur.  The yarns he spins on any topic related to it are not for the easily distracted – unless you appreciate his glorified but still understated retellings of his Wilbur history.

Despite my familiarity and early bond with it, it was tough living in Wilbur at first.  There was much to come to grips with.  Perhaps even more difficult to bear was the environment of Wilbur itself.  It’s not for the faint of heart.  To live in Wilbur is to understand the duality of its nature.

During the day, it is a noisy, gritty industrial hotbed – really.  Alarm clocks are optional here.  The shipyard starts up at 7 A.M. sharp Monday-Friday.  They’ve been known to start early on the weekends too.  Sunday is the best chance for sleeping in.  We have other industry concentrated along this stretch of the creek as well as the train trestle.  Although there are few blaring train crossing whistles to endure, the sound of a lumbering train over the water is certainly a unique sound.

Wilbur is also home to the only remaining junk yard on the Rondout today.

At night Wilbur becomes something entirely different.  It’s sleek and quiet, even a little thick and inky at times.  Although I’ve lived in the city my whole life, I didn’t recognize its sounds at first.  More often than not, you don’t even realize that you are living in the city.

Every season brings something new to love and marvel at.  From the peepers of late March, operatic frogs of summer that inhabit my yard, turkeys that roost up in trees on the ridge of Fly Mountain, deliciously sweet wild berries, an enveloping fog that rises from the creek, a blaze of fall color along the hillsides, the last ray of sunlight awash on the old brick chimney across the creek, to a full moon low on the horizon just beyond the trestle, or the hushed silence of a snow fall, Wilbur is truly a humbling place to be.

My entire life Wilbur has been defined by family, shipyard, train trestle, brook, water spigot, creek, fishing, caves and church bizarres.  They resonate deeply in my memory.  The rest eludes me in distant whispers and curiosities as I travel past historic stone foundations and remnants of a bluestone empire not quite fathomed.

But living here I found something else, something deeper than romanticized childhood memories.  I found my community spirit.  And I blame Wilbur for it.  The first year and a half I was overwhelmed by everything, all my senses affronted a daily basis, my spirit tested often as I allowed the grittiness to seep into how I saw Wilbur.  And then a small series of unconnected events put the pieces together.  I woke up from the chronic complainer I was becoming.  I realized that I could love Wilbur fully, as long I was contributing to making it a better place to be, rather than just accepting it as it was. 

It’s nothing more than a small step, but I helped to organize a small community garden on a sweet little corner at the apex of the Wilbur Triangle – at it’s heart.  It’s the first step towards demonstrating our spirit and pride for our little hamlet.  I can’t wait to start phase 2 in the coming spring.

Perhaps my finest moment – and most selfish – in my short time in Wilbur is happening right now.  The hill I live on overlooks the creek and the shipyard.  It’s a loop comprised of 3 streets, 7 houses and the old church.  To say that traveling these streets compares to driving on an off-road trail wouldn’t be an exaggeration.  Early on I started writing letters about the conditions with the sole intent of getting something done about it.  Thirty nine months later, the hill is getting the makeover of a lifetime thanks to a Community Block Development Grant.  It turns out that patience is a virtue after all.  It gives me tremendous hope for Wilbur’s future.

All of this but really, I’m just an old and loyal soul who’s here to hash out a living in a life that is often uncertain in its path and direction.  After all, I’m just a girl from Wilbur.

Where this ridiculously wordy pontification of my ultimate crush ends, yours begins.  Come on people!  We know you’re out there waiting for a topic you would love to write about, maybe this is it.  Write us and tell us how you’re inspired by your community or neighborhood.  Captivate us with your own love story so that others can share your enthusiasm.  Perhaps your ultimate gift will be to inspire others to do the same.  Send me an email submission   wilburgirl@hvc.rr.com

–    Wilbur Girl

(Also Known As ~ Kate Lawson)

HISTORY AT THE STREET LEVEL by Lowell Thing: The Woman In White

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One evening in May 1912, at a rather late hour, Jacob Greenwald and “his two young lady cousins” were walking down West Chestnut Street in Kingston.  Near the elaborate and perhaps at this hour vaguely ominous Van Deusen residence (the house that sits way up and back from the street and with the tower that then and still today commands a view of the Hudson), someone appeared behind Jacob and his cousins and seemed to be following them.  This someone was dressed all in white and when they crossed the street, so did the mysterious blob of white.  At any rate, Jacob’s frightened cousins began to walk ahead of him.  Jacob himself apparently kept calm enough to observe in the gaslight that the figure “was a woman about five feet eight inches in height, was scantily clad, and wore a white sheet thrown over her head.” No one believed this had anything to do with Halloween because it was not even summer yet.  Jacob’s cousins finally began to run wildly ahead toward Montrepose Avenue but soon after, when Jacob looked back, the phantom figure had disappeared.

Meanwhile, on nearby West Chester Street (not to be confused with West Chestnut as I often have to tell people delivering a pizza), another young man, presumably at a different time of the evening, saw this woman in white, who sprang up out of some bushes.  He got a good look at her, saw that she was woman wearing a sheet, and then decided to run away after she began to pursue him.  (I’m paraphrasing the story from the Kingston Daily Freeman.)

On a later night, another two people, two “drummers,” salesmen from out of town staying at a hotel, encountered the woman in white on West Chester Street.  As they were lighting their cigarettes, someone dressed all in white appeared around the corner of a house.  Apparently, the appearance was intimidating because the men immediately ran back to their hotel where they reported something that was nine feet tall with “a most terrifying aspect”!

By the time this story was reported in the Freeman, headed “Woman in White Sought by Police,” several gangs of youths had formed to look for this person or whatever it was.  Meanwhile, at least one young man who thought to have some fun donned a white sheet in imitation of the woman in white and reportedly received “a severe pummeling” from one of the youthful gangs.  All of this right here in my own neighborhood and only slightly more than one hundred years ago.

I happen to know this story because last week Margie Menard, Kingston Library Director, sent a note to the Friends of Historic Kingston to tell them that, beginning immediately, one no longer has to visit the Library to access the local newspaper archives, or at least the Kingston Daily Freeman archives from 1878 through 1969.  I quickly went to the Web site and entered “West Chestnut Street.”  Not only did I read about the mysterious Woman in White, but I learned that my neighbor up the street, Harry Coykendall, son of Ulster County’s greatest businessman ever, Samuel Coykendall, had shot himself hunting but was now at home resting comfortably.  As of October 15, 1905, that is.

In society notes of June 25, 1910, I learned that an earlier neighbor across the street, Edwin Shultz, the brick manufacturer, was entertaining Mr. and Mrs. T. Akahoshi of Tokyo, a couple he had met on the Lusitania.  More tragically, down the street right next to the Ulster Academy, recently made into some condo apartments with blackboards, a man named Clemmons disappeared, leaving a suicide note (February 17, 1904).

And finally some evidence about when the first house on West Chestnut Street met its end, a fact of interest for anyone interested in the Chestnut Street Historic District since this would have been its most historic building.  On May 11, also in 1904, appeared a notice that Samuel Coykendall had put up for sale and removal from his property the original home of James McEntee.  McEntee came to Kingston in 1825 as the resident engineer for the D&H Canal Company.  He later owned the Mansion House by the creek and built the Island Dock in the creek before buying the land that my end of West Chestnut is now on.  There he built the first house and subdivided the property into lots.  McEntee essentially built my street, beginning in 1848.  His daughter Sarah, one of America’s first women physicians, was one of the last McEntees to live in the house and sometime after she died, the McEntee home, the first house on West Chestnut, a large Hudson River Bracketed Italian villa, no longer existed.  But I never knew exactly when that was.  Now I do.  It must have been gone by well before the beginning of 1905.  And that more or less solves that.

But what about the Woman in White?  I could find no follow-up stories in the Freeman, at least in the year 1912 where the file I was looking at ended.  Perhaps the special detail assigned to the case by Chief of Police Wood, if not the gang of ruffians, was enough to encourage her to put the sheet back on the line.  Who she was remains another one of those stories without an ending.

Meanwhile, with this new and powerful local history search tool at our command, the possibilities seem worth thinking about.  You could look up what happened on your own street or, if you’ve lived in Kingston a while, some earlier members of your family.   You could look to find out what brands of automobile were being driven in Kingston in the early 1900s or who sold knickers (the advertisements are included, too).  I have a feeling that even more significant facts could be uncovered by a serious student of history.  At any rate, we owe thanks to Margie Menard, the Kingston Library, the Southeastern Library Council and all the other groups that collaborated to put this historical information online.  Visit the WEB SITE. The search engine is waiting.

– Lowell Thing

Introducing “History At The Street Level” by KingstonCitizens.org blogger Lowell Thing

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I am very pleased to introduce the recent series added to our KingstonCitizens.org blogspot.

Long time city of Kingston resident Lowell Thing will write ‘History At The Street Level’. In his ongoing entries, Lowell’s theme will highlight what he calls ‘citizen’s local history’. We are very excited to not only have Lowell on board, but to also have what we feel is a very unique topic “generally overlooked by the more ‘major event’ oriented historical perspective” as Lowell points out.

About Lowell Thing – Lowell Thing is Chairman of the Friends of Historic Kingston’s Preservation Committee. He also served on Kingston’s Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission. Some years ago, he helped the Friends put the Chestnut Street Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places (joining Kingston’s three other historic districts). He helps out with the annual Bluestone Festival and, with a number of other people, is helping the County to find a future for the Persen House.

Welcome aboard, Lowell – and enjoy Kingston Citizens.

Thanks.

– Rebecca Martin
info@kingstoncitizens.org

PS – We are always looking to add new citizen writer’s to the KingstonCitizens.org blog. If you have an idea for a series, please contact me at the email address above.